Stuck
by Tishbing
Summary: Spock is acting unusual around Ensign Jones. It's making her a little uneasy and she is struggling to figure out what is going on. He's finding excuses to be with her, almost seeming to follow her. What's going on? AN: I will be changing the summary once it's into a few chapters. Even though the plot is kind of obvious I just can't bring myself to say it yet.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I'm hoping this idea hasn't been done to death. I'm not sure how far I'll take it but I hope it'll be a fun ride for all! As always, I own only my OC and not Star Trek. I'm just borrowing it for a little fun. This story will have dark undertones and a lot of uncomfortable situations. As most "writers" I live and breathe for reviews and criticism be it harsh or pleasant. Thanks!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter One

Ensign Charlotte Jones could feel the ache in her lower back. It felt like she had been bent over forever. Her bright blonde hair had begun to fall out of it's bun and was tickling her face. She was slowly running the dermal regenerator over a young crewman's back. It was taking so long due to how deep the cut went. She felt so bad for him. He'd fallen down a ladder in engineering catching his back on the way down. The cut was huge. It gave her sympathy pains.

Finally, after an hour she was able to turn off the machine. She stretched her back feeling the satisfying pops. Taking one last look at Lieutenant Cutler sleeping she walked over to Dr. McCoy.

"Sir? I've closed Eric Cutler's wound. It just needs your sign off."

She smiled at Dr. McCoy. He was a downright grump but she enjoyed working with him. He grumbled something about clumsy engineers and quickly walked over to check her work.

"Looks great. If you wouldn't mind handing me that hypo of ampicillin I'd appreciate it. He'll just need to stay tonight to make sure no infection sets in and he should be fine."

She handed him the hypospray and waited while he injected their patient.

"Is there anything else you need Dr. McCoy?" She meekly asked.

"Um..." He looked up at her but then saw the clock above her head.

"Why didn't you say anything? It's 3 hours past the end of your shift?"

He almost looked angry. He just shook his head.

"Go on or I'll be brought up on charges from overworking the nurses." Rolling her eyes she started to make her way out but quickly stopped and turned around.

"Sir? Isn't your shift supposed to be done at the same time as mine?"

"I'm the CMO. My shift never ends. Sometimes I think this lot wouldn't make it past dinner if I took a day off." He mumbled.

"Maybe not even lunch! Goodnight Doctor."

She left before he could reply and ran over to the replicator typing up dinner for the doctor and left it on his desk before leaving for the night. She just hoped he'd get to it before it got cold. Grilled catfish, dirty rice and steamed vegetables with spiced peaches. Even she was tempted to eat it but she quickly left. She swore he'd die of starvation if she and Christine didn't regularly feed him. The fact that he mother hens after everyone else but forgets himself is ridiculous! She knew if he caught her he'd rant about not being an infant and that he could do it himself. Giggling she quickly left to see if anyone was left in the mess hall.

Little did she know she was being watched.

Thankfully, she ran into Christine who had also not eaten and they sat together munching on dinner. Chris, a pasta dish and Charlotte a large spicy chicken Caesar salad.

"Poor Eric. He's such a sweet guy. Thanks for taking it for me."

Charlotte shrugged.

"No problem. I don't mind but next time would you feed Leonard. I swear he's lost weight. And he's cranky. I like my men a little calmer." She emphasized her point with her fork, smiling.

"Ok, but enough about work. I wanted to show you the pictures of my cousin's baby!"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Chris had been talking non-stop about it for weeks. It wasn't that she didn't want kids or like them, she just wasn't interested in them for a while. She watched feigning interest and cooing at the appropriate times looking at pink blob after pink blob. It was cute but thank god it took after Chris's cousin. That woman's husband was ugly with a capital U! She really guessed love was blind.

"So Chris, any idea about you settling down? You know, having kids?"

Chris pushed her hair behind her ears a and frowned.

"I'd like to. You know I'm engaged to Roger but I haven't seen him in a while now. I think it'd be a bit much though. I am trying to become a doctor and babies just aren't in the cards for me."

"I get that." She nodded smiling. At least she hadn't lost her friend. For some reason almost anytime she saw one baby someone somehow always got pregnant. It was like it was something in the water. Chris wasn't done talking. Jones was still working on her salad.

"What about you?"

"I dunno. Maybe if it was with the right guy or the right time." She shrugged noncommittally.

"Well, I'd better get to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Charlotte absently waved as her friend bounced off. Chris always had so much energy. She could feel the day catching up to her and she put her head in her hands closing her eyes.

"Do you require assistance Ensign?"

Charlotte's head snapped up so fast she was surprised she didn't get whiplash. Commander Spock was watching her with his head tilted as if in concern.

"No sir. I'm fine. How are you." She slapped on her accommodating but leave me alone smile but it didn't seem to work. He must have taken it as a cue to join her for he slid into the seat recently vacated by Chapel.

"I am well. I have noticed that you have been late leaving your shift by increasing amounts for the past 12 days. Is sickbay understaffed?"

Nosey much?

"No. I tend to lose track of time when I'm working. I enjoy my job."

"An alarm would alleviate that difficulty. I often find that I require the use of one when I am working in the labs."

She nodded politely. Moving to stand she started to say good night.

"If it is agreeable, perhaps we can continue this conversation tomorrow. Possibly over your morning meal?"

"Sure." She quickly excused herself and got halfway down the corridor before she realized what she had done.

"Oh shit."

The next morning she remembered Spock's request and found that she couldn't cancel. She tried contacting the bridge, his quarters and the science labs. He just wasn't there so she quickly pulled her hair back in a pony tail finishing her morning grooming and walked to the mess hall PADD in hand hoping that Spock had forgotten. He hadn't. He was sat in the same spot from last night. Nodding in acknowledgement she grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down.

"Morning."

"Good Morning Miss Jones."

She really didn't know what to say. She didn't really work with Spock nor did they hang out. It was, to put it nicely...awkward. She sipped her coffee and smiled waiting.

"I have noticed that you have been studying to attain a nurse practitioner license. Are you finding the classes stimulating."

He was watching her with interest. It was kind of sweet.

"Oh yes. I'm still more than a year off but it is definitely interesting. Currently I'm writing an article about immunology and how it can differ between species."

"I believe there is a lab aspect required in your studies?"

She sipped her coffee and nodded an affirmative.

"Yeah but the labs are so overbooked I've not been able to get in. I'm on the wait list."

"I am booked for this evening in the lab. You may share with me if you like?"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. She could feel her excitement building. She'd only need two hours to study and record her microscopic images of the cells and structures in the immune systems. She'd been storing her samples in stasis for months and she'd finally finish.

"That'd be amazing! I've been waiting for months! Thank you!"

"Thanks are illogical. I only require the use of one of the lab stations. There are two and it would be wasteful if it was not used."

"Of course, sir."

She was beaming.

"Miss Jones, I request when we are not on duty for you to address me as Spock. I believe that it may assist in alleviating any discomfort you may have in my presence. The Captain often makes a request of using his first name while not on duty. While it has taken a while for me to acquiesce I have noted that he seems to relax quicker."

She thought about it for a minute. She didn't feel very comfortable with his "request" and she had only seen his girlfriend, the captain and Dr. McCoy do the name thing. Even the other senior staff members used his title. It's possible that they did and she just didn't see it. After all, she was usually in sickbay and she was not a senior staff member. She started frowning as she still couldn't help but think it was a little weird.

"Commander, while I thank you for this opportunity I don't feel comfortable addressing you as such. What would Uhura say?"

"I do not believe she would say anything."

She nodded, a feeling of unease starting to fill her. Spock was watching her.

"I have to get going. My shift starts soon."

She moved to get up but was stopped when Spock stood too.

"I will walk with you. I look forward to working with you tonight. I will meet you outside of sickbay at 1700 hours."

She nodded acquiescence and allowed him to fall in step with her. His hands behind his back as he walked smoothly beside her. She felt awkward as she struggled to keep up with his long strides easily out matching her short ones. She huffed as she was trying to keep up. He must have noticed her distress because he slowed down.

"I have been reading your research on fertility drugs to assist in repopulating the Vulcan race. I see that Dr. McCoy and you have nearly finished your study of increasing the male's sperm count."

"Yeah. We're hoping that previously thought sterile males will be able to produce progeny. I'm only helping with the research into the new drug. We've pretty much completed all the computerized tests and then we'll be able to send the results to New Vulcan and then they'll be able to test the practical applications of the drug. It was hard to modify it but worth it."

"Indeed."

"I want to help them. I can't even imagine not being able to have a child on top of everything else. We're going to start work on a similar project to increase egg count in females. Hoping for multiples during pregnancy. We have many of these drugs for humans but it's never been requested for Vulcans until recently."

"I did not realize humans had required assistance in this aspect."

She frowned and had to tilt her head to look at him.

"Some women find it difficult to produce viable eggs or struggle with ovulation. I'm thankful I probably won't have that problem."

He looked at her intently and she couldn't help but squirm under the intense scrutiny.

"May I inquire as to why?"

"We're here."

She was glad she had arrived at sickbay. It was perfect timing. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous in the Commander's presence. She also didn't want to create a awkward situation with Spock's girlfriend. She quickly typed up a message asking her if she was free for lunch. She was pleased to see a message back saying she'd meet her in the mess hall at noon. She was glad that she'd be able to talk to her. She didn't want the rumor mill to speculate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! This chapter is going to be mainly from Spock's perspective but it'll also have Charlotte's there too. I live for reviews so if anyone wants me to change it or if anyone has any ideas as to what they want to happen please feel free to PM me or leave a review. I live off of those! Please? :)**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Two

Charlotte was finishing her report for Dr. McCoy when she noticed a shadow fall across her PADD. She spun around irritated but it fell short when she saw Uhura, hands on hips tapping a foot. She glanced up at the clock seeing that she was 10 minutes late for lunch.

"Oh god! I'm so sorry. I'll be there in just a minute."

She placed her PADD on the table and stood to get ready to leave.

"Charlotte, relax. I wasn't waiting long. I knew you're like me."

She was surprised to see Uhura smiling. Her stance relaxing.

"I usually work through lunch too. Come on. We can talk on the way and grab a sandwich."

Jones easily fell in step next to Uhura. She was a lot taller than her and was walking confidently whereas Charlotte couldn't help but feel awkward next to her.

"So, what's this all about? It's rare I see you outside of check-ups."

Charlotte could feel a flush of heat on her cheeks in embarrassment and she figured it was best to get it all out in one go.

"I just wanted to tell you that Commander Spock had breakfast with me and we're going to be doing some lab work and it's completely platonic and I have no interest in your boyfriend and I wanted to let you know because I didn't want you to hear a rumor that I'm stealing him."

Her chest was heaving and her heart hammered in her chest. She knew about the rumors of how fiercely loyal this woman was to those she loved. She waited, on edge for the other shoe to drop. She pulled her gaze to look at Uhura fearful of what she might see. What she didn't expect was her smiling. And she definitely didn't expect her to start laughing and shaking her head. The small nurse could only open her mouth in surprise.

"Charlotte, this may come as a surprise to you but...Spock and I are just friends now. After the Narada we found that our relationship fizzled and didn't make it."

Uhura looked away. Her eyes growing distant. Charlotte put a hand on the woman's arm hoping to help her.

"We soon found out that Spock needed something I couldn't give him. It drove a wedge between us which moved our relationship into a more...platonic stage."

"I'm so sorry. If it isn't too personal, may I ask when this happened?"

Charlotte almost slapped herself. She immediately regretted asking such a painful question. Uhura simply cleared her throat, smiled grimly and answered.

"About 4 months ago."

Charlotte looked away frowning. She was saved from answering by arriving at the mess hall. _Thank God for small miracles!_ Today, entrances were becoming her saving grace for awkward situations. The two women quickly ordered their sandwiches and took a seat at he back.

"Charlotte?"

She had been slowly munching on her sandwich thinking. She wasn't really sure why Spock had wanted a meeting. Maybe he wanted advice on getting back with Uhura? It only seemed reasonable.

"Yeah."

Her mind was still going over the possibilities.

"I don't mind you hanging out with Spock. He's a good man. Our decision was a mutual one."

"I don't know. I think I might cancel."

She was still thinking, no worrying, about the awkwardness of the situation. She really had no interest in anyone and though he was sharing the lab with her it wasn't, in her mind, anything more than colleagues helping one another. The other woman's hands quickly grabbed hers. Her long graceful fingers over her small pale hands was such a stark contrast. The sudden contact jarred her out of her thoughts.

"I think you should go. The commander wouldn't just share his lab space with just anyone. He probably is just interested in your project and has too much pride to ask you about it himself."

Jones smiled. The lieutenant had to be right.

The Commander was on the bridge typing into his PADD. He'd finished his analysis of this sector's star system an hour ago. The captain had believed Spock would need several more hours of work left and he did not necessarily believe that he needed to inform Kirk that he was finished. He carefully pulled his PADD out to continue his reading on the ensign he was meeting this evening. He pulled up her service record.

She was bright, only second in her nursing master's degree program. She'd completed the program early to join Starfleet. High marks and praise from all instructors. She had worked especially well in the pediatric wards when she had had her practical assessment on Betazed. He delved further into her file.

She had had a fraternal twin sister, Molly Jones, perished on the USS Farragut six months ago when Nero had attacked. Her mother had passed away as well in a shuttle craft accident 4 years ago. No listed father. The mother's twin sister had also been killed in the same accident as her mother. No other listed family. There were a few pictures of Charlotte smiling next to her sister. Molly had hair that was brown, long and curly to Charlotte's light blonde straight hair. Their eyes were different as well, Charlotte's were an intense blue whereas Molly's were a warm brown. Perhaps this is what she had meant about not worrying too much about infertility. Twins apparently ran in her family. He filed that away for later.

He looked up to notice that Uhura had left for lunch and quickly returned to the file. His hand brushed against the picture of the girl. He tilted his head to see her better and found her to be an aesthetically pleasing specimen of the human race. These thoughts were not entirely welcome. He had noted a 6.7% efficiency drop in the past week. He has succumbed to distraction much more easily than usual. He had known it was coming and that he had a week, maybe two before he would not be able to control it any longer.

He had approached Uhura regarding this problem soon after discovering his intended T'Pring had not survived. She was upset at finding out about T'Pring but had wanted to help. They had tried to bond, but at every turn Uhura's mind rejected Spock's. Time and again they tried but it only brought disappointment. Spock had found upon contacting his father that minds and souls could reject each other. Much like an organ that had been transplanted. Uhura and him simply weren't compatible. His father had suggested he return to New Vulcan with him to attempt to find a compatible mind however, he knew males outnumbered females almost two to one and he did not wish to use his father's influence to bypass others who were there on site rebuilding their race. He also knew that in order to become fully bonded he would need to remain with his intended for at least a year after otherwise the bond between them would fracture and be incomplete possibly damaging each other. He did not wish to leave Starfleet. Spock Prime had explained that his life here would be richly rewarding.

His father's final advice had been to begin his search closer to his home. Focusing on someone to compliment his strengths and who had familial values. Someone that would accept him and be willing to submit. Uhura fit three out of four in that category. Her personality was too strong and vied for dominance. After all, it had been she who had sought him out. She, who had initiated their relationship. Though his culture accepted women as equals, there were the by laws of the bonded. Uhura had discovered this in her research attempting to determine their lack of compatibility and had promptly explained to him that it wasn't going to work. She needed the freedom of her life. She wanted to explore and grow.

This left Spock with little alternative. He had immediately began searching discreetly. He had only seen two women come up with his requested criteria. Christine Chapel had been an interesting choice however upon further investigation he had discovered that she was engaged to Roger Korby. This left the option of Miss Jones. He felt an immediate response to her picture. He found her to be fascinating. He had noted her maternal behavior towards her patients and even towards her fellow staff members. He had noted she appreciated the sciences much like him. He had also taken note that she respected authority even when she did not agree with it. She was very similar to his mother. Full of compassion, smart and respectful of Vulcan culture.

In short she met all four of his criteria. He only needed to test the waters, so to speak to see if she was a possibility. So far, in their meetings he had determined that she had respect for him and cared about his race and rebuilding it. He was anticipating an interesting evening.

The rest of his shift continued without incident. He noted an attempt by Miss Jones to cancel tonight's lab session but like this morning he simply chose to ignore it knowing that out out human courtesy she would accompany him. He arrived at the sickbay to find her finishing a treatment of Lieutenant Sulu. Her hand holding his as she was waving a deep tissue regenerator over his wrist. She was laughing as he was talking to her. Her posture was leaning towards him. He noted her face was pink, pupils were dilated slightly and he could hear her heartbeat increasing slightly. He struggled to identify the words though they should be easy for him to hear but he could only hear his own heartbeat and the blood rushing in his ears.

He watched, unable to move as she finished treating him wrapping his hand. He did not appreciate the close contact. He willed himself to control his feelings. She was doing her job. He succeeded and was able to hear the last of the conversation.

"So, nurse, now that you've patched me up, would you like to grab a coffee with me? I assume you're off about now too."

He noted that she smiled. It was then he decided to put an end to this shameful display. He strode forward quickly.

"Mr. Sulu, I believe Miss Jones already has an engagement this evening. She will be working in the labs with me tonight."

He was satisfied to note both parties blanched at his appearance. Charlotte immediately dropped Sulu's hand and stepped away slightly.

"Yes, sir. I didn't realize. I'll see you later." He stood and quickly exited the sickbay only looking back once.

Charlotte, herself looked up at him with a puzzled expression on her face. Her eyes, so blue, were questioning the intrusion into her work. He noted that a few wisps of her pale hair had fallen loose of it's bindings only to frame her face.

"Mr. Spock. I had tried to contact you. I'm afraid I'm busy here at the medical bay. I'm sorry I can't make it."

He noted in increase in her pulse during her statement. He glanced around the room only seeing Nurse Chapel filling out paperwork and Dr. McCoy in his office. He knew she was lying but he did not wish to offend her by pointing it out. He decided to show her it was to her benefit that she accompany him.

"Miss Jones, I do believe that there are other nurses coming on shift. I do not see any current patients. I also know that you need to complete your lab assignment to pass your class."

She was waving him off, looking away.

"I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on."

He tilted his head and frowned slightly then coming to a decision he walked away from the girl and over to Nurse Chapel who was sitting behind the nurse's station. Her body was slumped and she was staring at a blank screen. Clearly waiting for the end of her shift.

"Miss Chapel?"

Her head came up and she smiled at him.

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"I was curious as to the possibility of you allowing Miss Jones to leave on time to be able to accompany me to the lab so that she may complete her coursework?"

Her face showed some surprise but she quickly put on a professional mask.

"Of course. There isn't much going on."

He nodded his thanks and walked over to Charlotte who was waiting and watching him. Her mouth was open slightly but she quickly closed it seeing him return. She had heard the exchange. He could tell she was displeased but that her shock overwhelmed that response.

"I believe Nurse Chapel has determined that you will be able to leave on time."

He simply indicated that she accompany him and he was pleased to feel her walking next to him.

The walk to the lab was short and he assisted Charlotte collecting her specimens from storage and set them up ready for documentation. He could sense some puzzlement and slight anxiety emanating from her in their close quarters. He felt a small smile tug at his lips. When he had been with Uhura he had never sensed anything. He could always tell by body language but never by sensing it. He slowly moved away once she was set up.

An hour passed in silence as they both worked. Spock was analyzing the water samples from their last planet survey.

"Commander?"

He looked up from his microscope to see Charlotte watching him.

"Yes, Charlotte?"

"Did you invite me here to observe the immunology aspect of my paper?"

"No. I requested you accompany me for personal reasons and to assist you in your endeavors to further your education."

She blushed a promptly dropped the slide she had been holding. It shattered, glass going in every direction. She hissed holding her hand. He was displeased to see a bright spurt of red running down her left hand as she was holding it with her right.

"Dammit!"

He quickly moved over to inspect the damage only to have her pull away.

"Charlotte. You will allow me to asses your injury."

She slowly held out her hand and he took it in his. It was immediate. The moment their hands touched he caught flashes of her. He could see her running after her sister through a field of flowers. He saw her dancing in front of a mirror practicing for a recital, crying after receiving the news if her aunt's and mother's death, struggling to save just one more life while explosions went off around her in the Enterprise's sickbay. It was over in an instant. She had pulled away quickly. Her face was full of puzzlement. She tilted her head looking at him and moved away slightly.

"It's just a small cut. I'll be fine commander. I think I'll finish another day."

His gaze moved down to her hands. It was more than a small cut but he found it difficult to speak. He nodded going through what had just happened.

"I will see you soon, Charlotte."

"Good night."

She left quickly. His mind was buzzing. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He took in the scent of lavender. He supposed that she had scented herself this morning. He contemplated the unusual connection. His mind had quickly joined hers without any hesitation or effort. It boded well. He would need to meditate on this further and speak with his father. Sarek would know what this meant. His mind played back the images he had seen. They were intriguing. He wished to know more. He left the lab approximately fifteen minutes later.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi to the readers out there! I just love saying hi! I'm getting to the crux of Jones's problem soon but I'm sure it's pretty obvious. I am sorry I'm just a weird fan girl who has plotted the demise of the Spock/Uhura relationship but that's just me. I personally think Karl Urban who plays McCoy is so much cuter but for Jones's character I see him as more of a friend and colleague and I just like to mess around with the notion of Spock pursuing someone and being passionate under that cool, stoic face. I'm not getting feedback so I'm gonna give it a few chapters and if it's not something people like I'll just pull it down. No hard feelings!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Three

Charlotte rushed out of the lab. Her heart was going a million miles an hour and her head felt like a truck had been dropped on it. She stopped outside the doors and closed her eyes relying on the wall for support as she leaned back.

When Spock had touched her hand she had seen...things and felt...deep emotions that weren't hers. It was fuzzy but there. She remembered seeing four boys, one pushing another and saying cruel things, blind rage at what was said. She could see a woman, human with kind eyes straightening the collar of a young man who felt unsure but seeing his mother brought forth feelings of deep love and lastly, she saw the same woman falling as the same man reaching for her in vain. Extreme fear and sadness was there as well as anger.

She could feel tears in her eyes, she sank down in the corridor and choked down a sob. These were not her feelings but they affected her greatly. She knew whose memories these had to have been. Commander Spock's. She could understand these feelings. She had felt them herself when her sister had been taken from her, when her mother and aunt had been killed.

She noticed a wet sensation on her lap and looked with a start that her hand was still bleeding really bad. She needed to go to sickbay and get it taken care of before she passed out. She was feeling dizzy but whether it was from the blood loss or the influx of emotions and memories was anybody's guess. She used her arms to wipe her face keeping her hands together to try and stem the flow. As she headed to the medical bay she couldn't help but feel an emotion that had nothing to do with the new memories or her own feelings at he time. Deep attraction. She shook her head trying to clear it as she reached the lift.

She was wondering about the whole incident the entire way to sickbay not even noticing where her feet were taking her. She only noticed where she was after she had walked about 10 feet to far. She abruptly turned and made her way back glad to be somewhere familiar. She was peeking around the corner looking for Chris when a voice boomed over her shoulder making her jump.

"Good God woman! What did you do? Looks like you nicked a vein."

Before Charlotte could utter a reply or protest the contact Dr. McCoy grabbed her upper arm and steered her to the nearest biobed fluidly helping her hop up and moving to grab his medical tricorder.

"You sliced straight through to your deep Palmer venous arch. You're damn lucky you didn't hit an artery."

She felt a hiss on her neck next to her shoulder and absently brought her hand up to touch the area leaving a smudge of blood. The doctor had moved away to grab his tools and came back. She was still in a daze when she noticed his face hovering about an inch from hers, concern lining his face rather than his traditional scowl. She must not have been paying attention.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked how this happened but you seem pretty out of it. Are you alright? Did something happen?"

He started waving a vascular regenerator and her blood flow was slowing to almost non-existent then moving onto a deep tissue regenerator. The tingling brought her back to the present.

"Uh...I dropped a slide and it shattered cutting me. Then Commander Spock..."

She wasn't sure she should share the experience. For some reason it felt private. She decided to be a little more vague. She noticed he had stopped and was watching her intently. Charlotte knew he wouldn't drop it now that she'd opened her mouth.

"Well, he touched my hands and I saw things that weren't my memories. Is that normal?"

The doctor quickly finished repairing her hand. The skin was pink and raw but that would fade in a couple of hours. He had picked up his scanner and was moving it over her head.

"What kind of things? Any other symptoms?"

"Just flashes. I was just a little overwhelmed. Aren't Vulcans touch telepaths?"

She frowned thinking. McCoy mirrored her frown looking at her readings.

"Yeah. I'm seeing a few spots in your brain highlighting excitement. Your occipital, frontal and temporal lobe are showing activity. It seems to be calming down. As you know your occipital processes what you see, temporal is memories and frontal is feelings. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired."

"I want you to go straight to your quarters and got to bed. I'm gonna give you a couple of sleeping pills to help slow your neural activity. Don't give me that look, I know you don't like it. Otherwise I'll keep you here."

Charlotte just rolled her eyes. She hated forced slumber. She always woke up more tired. He handed her two red pills and a glass of water.

"Now?"

"Now. They'll take effect in 20 minutes and by then you should be comfortable in bed."

He watched her like a hawk to make sure she took them and grudgingly she obliged but not before shooting a filthy look his way.

"I think you should take tomorrow off. I'll see you tomorrow morning though for a quick once over just to be sure everything is back to normal. Good night Charlotte."

He helped her to the door and she could feel him watching her until she reached the corner. Keying her level she could feel the pills starting to slowly take effect. She couldn't help but sigh as she stepped out and made her way to her quarters. Quickly changing into her pajamas, the last coherent thought before she fell asleep pulling the covers over herself was curiosity. Did Spock like her?

Loud chimes were assaulting her ears. Groaning she rolled over and in the fog of sleep she misjudged the distance promptly falling out of her bed. Landing in a tangled heap she slowly separated herself from her sheets. The chimes sounded again only this time they were accompanied by the beeps of somebody overriding her lock. She stiffened, mind clearing rapidly as adrenaline surged through her. She sped up untwisting the sheets and quickly stood up as Dr. McCoy strode in looking frantic emergency medkit in one hand searching her quarters.

She couldn't help but let loose a breath of relief seeing him. She stood up and once he saw her he rushed over pulling out his scanner. She wondered if he slept with it considering he never seemed to go anywhere without it.

"Where have you been? I've commed you 20 times. It's 1300 and you never showed. Are you ok?"

She felt slight irritation as he started his scan before she could answer but she held still. She felt fine. Still tired now that her adrenalin high from a minute ago was fading but nothing some coffee couldn't fix.

"I told you, I don't like sedatives. I'm a lightweight and I was already tired when I took them. Sorry to worry you. I probably didn't hear the alarms."

He snorted his displeasure at her assessment and she had to control herself from rolling her eyes.

"Well, everything checks out. Your serotonin levels are a little low which may explain your charming demeanor but otherwise you're fine. You're hand looks good too."

"Thanks. I'm sorry. I'm not at my best before coffee. You were right about taking today off. I'm looking forward to getting back tomorrow."

She neglected to say she thought it was the pills that had caused her to oversleep but she respected him too much. He packed up giving her a small smile.

"Charlotte, I only make house calls for those I care about. Feel better, ok? Tomorrow, you're actually slated for an away mission. It's just a planetary survey. Science only, so you and Commander Spock will be heading out at 0800. I'd come but I've got to type up the report for the Vulcan medical team on our research. Just...be careful. Ok?"

Her head snapped up.

"Why only two of us?"

The doctor sighed and started grumbling.

"Because the people who are in charge of this system, the Zenitians are only wanting minimal scans and data collected. They won't even allow the Enterprise into the system. Starfleet wants them as a member because they have access to dilithium ore and processing that's second to none. They're a poor race so they can't afford the time to do the survey themselves but they'll meet you on the planet about a day after you arrive. The planet's called Zeti-6. It's class-m and it's the 6th planet in the system. The Zenitians are located on the 4th, the 5th is just a gas giant."

She felt stupid asking but she figured she may as well.

"If the Enterprise can't go in, how're getting there? And why me?"

McCoy pulled a PADD out of his bag.

"The commander and captain think that since you're well versed in botany and zoology it'd be a good fit. This way we have a medic on site in case of an accident. If anything were to happen it'd take us a day or two to get there navigating their system to get authorization. The survey should take a week or so. You'll be leaving by shuttle."

It was her turn to sigh. She took the PADD containing the data on the planet that was known and information on the Zenitians themselves including cultural beliefs and taboos.

"Did you find out anything about...you know?"

She jerked her head to show what she meant and the Doctor frowned. Clearly thinking.

"I dunno. I couldn't find any articles. I asked Spock about it and he only said that it was an accidental transference, whatever that means, and that it wasn't likely to happen again. My suggestion...wear gloves."

She started laughing. Even he did clapping her on the back. He turned to leave but quickly stopped at her doorway.

"Hey, be safe. See you in a week."

She waved absently focusing on typing in her order for coffee so she could sit and read the report. Once she had situated herself she noticed two messages for her. Groaning, she pulled herself out of her chair and walked to her computer. One was from Dr. McCoy asking where she was and the other was from Commander Spock letting her know about the away mission and asking if she was alright. She didn't reply. She was going to see him in the morning anyway.

Commander Spock sat pondering his move. The chess board was sitting in between the captain and him silently mocking him. Jim, on the other hand had easily countered each of his strategies. Spock had originally found the captain's challenge merely a distraction but he was proving himself to be an able strategist. He had calculated the game to be complete in 4 moves, then 8, then 16.

Once the moves required for him to win hit 24 and he realized they had been playing for 2 hours he tipped his queen conceding defeat. He could feel irrational anger at his friend instead of what he should have been feeling was mild fascination. It must have been evident on his face.

"Oh Spock, don't be a sore loser. You ok?"

Jim was looking t him in concern. His head moving closer to look him in the face better. His hands twitched in irritation but he maintained control.

"I am fine. I am just eager to make a call to my father and meditate ready for tomorrow. I am sure it will be most interesting. I believe that he ensign and myself will be the first sentient life forms to set foot on Zeti-6?"

The young man seemed placated by Spock's answer and leaned back stretching.

"Yeah. The Zenitians haven't gone there yet. They are a struggling society and their resources are limited. They're hoping that they'll be accepted in the Federation soon. They want to become wealthier by selling their refined metals and dilithium. They're very private though. I don't like only sending two of you without an escort but the brass want to be on these people's good side."

"I agree."

Spock quickly stood to clear up the playing pieces and put them in the box while the captain stood to leave.

"Good game Spock. I'll see you at the shuttle tomorrow."

Spock let a sigh of relief escape and moved to his computer typing in Sarek's comm code. The call went through quickly and soon the angular features of his father filled the screen.

"Father."

"Spock, I must say I am intrigued by the lateness of your call. However, looking at you, I can see that you are struggling."

Spock nodded stiffly confirming his father's diagnosis.

"Do you require transportation to New Vulcan? I am concerned for your well being. It would take us 9 days at maximum warp to meet you where you are located. We would have a healer on board to assist you. That is unless you have changed your mind?"

Spock's cheek twitched in irritation.

"I believe a healer would be adequate however, I do have a question."

"Go ahead."

"I was with a crew member yesterday and she had injured herself. I touched her to see to her injuries and somehow, I was privy to several memories that were hers. I believe that she received some of mine as well. Our doctor was concerned because it had shown up in a scan."

Sarek's brow furrowed and he leaned forward onto templed fingertips.

"Was she injured?"

"No. Some slight excitation of areas of her brain but she was quick to recover."

Spock shifted in his seat.

"I believe during this time, your katra, your mind and your body are automatically seeking someone. This is natural. This is how I discovered your mother was a match for myself. I had began to fixate on her and the same thing had occurred. If you are not careful you may find yourself fixating on her to the point where a healer will not be able to help you."

Spock nodded his understanding remaining silent.

"The fact that you were able to sense these things is no small miracle. She seems a perfect match however, there is too little time. I will make the arrangements. Focus on your meditation. I will see you in 8 days."

"Thank you, father. Live long and prosper."

"Live long and prosper, my son."

Spock ended the transmission less assured than when he had started. He lit his incense and candles. Situating himself on his meditation pillows he struggled to reach a full state of calm. Thoughts of the young woman continued to creep into his mind. He reminded himself that he only had to wait 8 days. The thought of a healer left him cold. If he had more time he was confident he could win her.

He rose in the morning feeling distinctly unrested. Moving to the bathroom he was displeased to note a slight green flush to his cheeks. He was confident he could wait the eight days. It would be difficult but he was hopeful that his being half human would help him in this area. Most Vulcans only lasted seven days before the fever claimed them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Here's where things get interesting. **

Chapter Four

Charlotte grabbed the last of her clothes and stuffed them into her duffel bag. She was anxious about the assignment but happy that the senior staff valued her skills and trusted her enough to do a good job. She had opted for a modified uniform that had black slacks instead of her regular skirt. She just felt more comfortable with it considering she was going to be roughing it. She tucked her jacket in her bag, just in case, and slung the bag over her shoulder. She knew she would just make it to the shuttle in time...if she ran.

Skidding around the corner, she waited for the shuttle bay doors to open. The bay was huge. It never failed to impress her with it's cavernous ceiling and the array of shuttles parked within. She noticed Commander Spock standing stiffly next to the captain. They were waiting next to the shuttle _Cassini_. She rushed over, clearly out of breath but smiled at their surprised reactions. Well...Captain Kirk's surprised reaction. The Vulcan simply looked at her and lifted an eyebrow in what appeared to be a questioning gaze.

"Ensign Jones, sir. Sorry. I lost track of time."

The captain smiled and chuckled. She noticed him looking at her legs and she almost looked down as well.

"Sir?"

"You know ensign? I like the skirts but I think pants leave a little more to the imagination. Don't you think, commander?"

Kirk waggled his eyebrows, looking at Spock who stared back.

"Indeed."

Charlotte rolled her eyes but couldn't help a little giggle to escape. It did help her feel a little less nervous. She appreciated Kirk's slightly cavalier attitude and was grateful he accepted her decision to stray from the onboard uniform code.

"Commander, Ensign. We'll see you in a week and good luck."

Kirk left with a smile and a wave. They boarded the small craft through the rear. She'd never used this class of shuttle before. The rear compartment was almost like a dorm room with two beds, storage lockers, a small bathroom with a sonic shower and a replicator. She stowed her bag and was moving to the front compartment when she bumped into Spock.

"Oh! I'm sorry."

He put out his hands to steady her but she shied away.

"No apologies are necessary."

She nodded to him. The close proximity to the man made her uneasy. She could see a slight flush to his cheeks and ears and his eyes seemed a little bright. She worried about the possibility of a fever but shook her head quickly dismissing it. Commander Spock wasn't like Kirk. He was very reliable in his healthcare maintenance and he would have said something before now.

She settled herself into the co-pilot's chair as Spock's fingers danced across the controls, leading them away from the Enterprise and to Zeti-6.

Commander Spock typed in the co-ordinates for their destination. He focused on the controls. His body was tense. He spared a glance at the woman beside him. Her face was set in what appeared to be nervousness, only accentuated by her biting her lower lip. She was sitting on the edge of her seat with her hands gripping the armrests tightly. He was unsure if her discomfort was due to him or the mission at hand. Her anxiety was rolling off of her, intense enough that it was breaking down a few of his carefully constructed barriers.

"Miss Jones."

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright?"

She turned her eyes to him, so wide and such a bright blue. She gave a slight upturn of her lips.

"I'm just not much of a camper. That's all."

He could sense her agitation waning. He took a deep breath. He was thankful that her agitation was not solely due to him, as well as the feeling that she was calming down somewhat.

"I assure you that staying in our shuttle is unlike camping."

She shot him a skeptical frown and turned back to watching the forward window.

They were approaching the planet. It was a pleasant blue and green orb. He plotted his descent when it happened. They had broken through the ionosphere when the shuttle suddenly lost all power. Emergency lights didn't even come up. Spock tapped on the console trying to bring up the computer. The shuttle's speed rapidly increased and the nose was falling forward.

"There is electromagnetic interference from the planet causing instrumentation to fail."

"Oh god!"

Charlotte gripped her chair and turned to him. Her face full of panic.

"Ensign, go to the back of he shuttle. Use the manual clamps to release the flaps. We need to slow down. I will attempt to bring the nose up by firing the thrusters manually."

She ran to the back having to grip the wall. Spock could feel his heart rate increase and adrenaline spike. He climbed under the console and pulled off the panel. Spying the manual release switch he twisted it. Immediately the nose of the shuttle lifted up. He pulled himself into his seat. He saw that Charlotte was not back. The ground was approaching rapidly.

"Ensign...ensign?"

"Damn clamp is stuck..."

He waited another second.

"Got it!"

He fastened his harness waiting for her. She rushed to the front. Her hands were fumbling with the catches. The ground was feet away. He saw her look at him desperately. Her eyes wide with horror. Her buckle was bent. She couldn't fully belt in. She closed her eyes as the shuttle collided.

That was the last thing Spock saw before the crash. He was helpless to save her. The shuttle hit the ground skidding and plowing through trees and earth like a hot knife through butter. Birds fled as the roar of the crash and sound of twisting metal careened towards them. Panels scraped off and a nacelle was left behind. There was a scar in the planet a mile long before the _Cassini_ finally came to a rest.

Spock came to soon after the crash. He was bruised but otherwise fine. His hands were shaking and he felt very hot. He looked around but did not find Charlotte in her seat. He undid his buckles and fear gripped him. He remembered she had not been able to secure herself. He smelled her before he saw her. The bitter iron scent of blood.

He found her sprawled on the other side of her chair. Her left arm at an unnatural position showing a probable dislocation, there was a deep cut on her forehead and another on the inside of her right thigh. He quickly moved to get the emergency medical kit in the back.

The rear of the shuttle was caved inwards and creaked ominously as he stepped in. He spotted the kit immediately to his left and moved back to Jones. Pulling out the scanner he saw that it was non-functional. He would have to rely on his own judgement.

Seeing her like this caused him to feel a sense of panic. He took a deep breath to steady himself and control his thoughts. He realized he needed to focus. His first priority was to stem the flow of blood from her wounds. He tried all the medical equipment. Only the hyposprays were functional and that is because they were manual. He tore her pants open at the injured leg and saw it was a deep cut about 6 inches long above her knee on the inside of her thigh. He pulled off his blue tunic leaving his undershirt on and ripped it into pieces using them to bind her leg and forehead.

He noticed her breathing had become shallow and her face turned grey. He quickly administered tri-ox, an antibiotic, a coagulant and pain medication. He moved to her chest. He gently lifted her shirt. There was bruising, mainly along her left side. This was the side she had managed to secure. His hands shook as he felt her abdomen and ribs. She was far too chilled. Her stomach was soft, no internal bleeding that he could tell but two ribs were broken. He felt up her arm but he needed to see better.

He pulled the scissors out of the medical kit and cut away her uniform top feeling a wave of guilt exposing her like this. Her right side was surprising uninjured but her left shoulder would need to be set. The arm was bruised but unbroken. He took her arm in his and braced his foot against her sternum. He gave a small jerk and felt it pop back into place. Nodding, he gently set her arm down. He put his head to her chest and noted her breathing and pulse was steady.

He felt guilt at not ensuring the shuttle was in top condition before they left. That one buckle could cause so much devastation. He moved to the back of the shuttle picking through the debris. He found supply rations, their bags and he pulled blankets off the cots. He stuffed his supplies including the mostly useless medical kit into the two bags only leaving one blanket out to wrap Charlotte up with.

He gently felt along the back of her neck. Feeling no fractures he carefully turned her to her side and traced along her spine. Though bruised, she was fine there. He quickly wrapped her in the thick blanket and hefted her into his arms. He looked down into her face, calm in it's sleep but caked in blood. She was not heavy and he was able to carry her along with their supplies with ease.

He only had to put her down once to kick at the door. The shuttle was too dangerous to stay in. It wasn't structurally sound. Once outside he could see the scope of the damage to the shuttle. It was severe. The left side was caved in and missing the nacelle. Multiple panels were gone and the entire bottom was scorched from their rapid entry. Spock knew that it would never take off again.

Survival became the most important thought. Shelter first. He looked around and spotted a cave entrance about a half a mile away. He adjusted his grip and started to walk.

Reaching the entrance he moved in slowly. He was wary in case there were any predators. He did not see any. He laid his charge down carefully. He searched the rest of the cave quickly and was pleased to note that it came to a dead end 40 feet in. No predators and if there were any, they could not come up from behind them. He then decided he would have to leave Charlotte behind to gather supplies. It left him uneasy. He decided to make quick work of it.

He ran. He soon had enough wood for a fire to last for two days and he had collected a type of moss to cushion the ground beneath them and it seemed adequate to trap in heat. He made up a bed for Charlotte and laid her on it wrapping her tightly. He was unpleasantly surprised that her leg and head wound needed redressing. He would need to close it somehow. Night was rapidly approaching and he set to work on a fire.

It took a while but soon they were bathed in a warm glow. He heard a small groan and moved over to Charlotte. She was twitching, her face grimacing in pain. He wished to give her more relief but he needed her to wake.

"Miss Jones? Charlotte? You need to open your eyes. I require your assistance."

His heart started to beat quicker when her eyes fluttered open. He took a deep breath. The tight cord that had been wrapped around his chest loosened slightly. He smoothed the hair out of her face and he felt a spark as he touch her temple. He pulled away as if he had been burned. Now that his body was calming from their ordeal his curse was returning. He needed to meditate and rest but first he had to finish Charlotte's treatment.

"What happened? Where are we?"

Her face was filled with pain. She moved slightly only to stop when she realized how badly hurt she was.

"Charlotte, I need to know how to heal two deep cuts without a dermal regenerator. One on your thigh and he other on your upper forehead."

He noticed how unfocused her eyes were.

"Umm...stitches. You...need to use needle and thread to sew the skin back together after cleaning the wound. I have a sewing kit...in my bag. I always have one when I travel in case I tear my shirt or something."

Spock frowned at her unusual resourcefulness. He went to the bags and found the kit and brought the hypospray containing a powerful pain killer and antibiotic. Charlotte was in a lot of pain. Before she could protest he injected the contents into her neck. Her face relaxed. He'd only ever seen his mother sew. He struggled to remember. Threading the needle took a while because his hands were trembling. His face flushed in shame. He should be able to control this better.

He lifted the blanket exposing her leg and he moved to remove the bandage. Rinsing the wound with water he slowly stuck the needle in. Charlotte hissed and jerked her leg away.

"I apologize. I need to close your injury. I was unable to locate a topical anesthetic."

He tried again only for the same results. He felt a wave of frustration that he could not dispel.

"I apologize for this."

"For what?"

He lifted himself up and kneeled, one leg on either side of hers and tightened his knees around her leg pinning it to immobilize it. He started again and though she tried to move she was unsuccessful. He finished cleaning her now stitched injury and put a bandage to cover it. He then moved to her forehead. Removing the strip of fabric, he could see that it was not as deep as he had suspected. He was able to close it using adhesive steri strips from the kit. She thanked him quietly. She had been crying.

Finally finished he could relax. His body was shaking. He needed to meditate and collect himself. He gave Charlotte some water and settled himself for he evening. He closed his eyes. Images of the crash, of Charlotte's injuries and of her looking at him holding the bent buckle, seeing her thanking him for treating her injuries even though he had caused her pain. Tears clinging to her lashes, bright blue eyes shining through. His eyes opened with a start. His chest heaving and heart pounding. The fire had died down leaving only embers. It was still some time before morning and even if he felt warm, though it was with fever, he realized that Charlotte was not. He could see her small body shaking in pain and cold. It hurt him to see it. He built up the fire again and gave her another shot.

He closed his eyes again to attempt to meditate again but still heard the young woman shaking. He realized she was struggling to maintain her body temperature. There was only one option. He slid into the covers and wrapped his arms and legs around her, pressing himself to her. It was then that he realized she was still only partially clothed. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind focusing on the tasks for tomorrow and trying to use breathing exercises to rest. He tried to minimize skin contact but every once in a while Charlotte would shift and brush agains his hands, or her face would turn into his neck. It felt like tiny electric jolts every time but it was a pleasant sensation. She quickly stopped shivering. He heard her sigh in relief and her muscles relaxed melting into his arms.

He drifted into an uneasy sleep of fire and ancient words he did not realize he knew.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! Thank you for the wonderful reviews! They inspire me to continue writing. It makes me so happy to hear from everyone! This chapter may be a little graphic and I'm trying to minimize it. I hope it's ok. **

**Tishbing**

Chapter Five

Charlotte felt sick. Her body was so hot and almost everywhere hurt. She was severely nauseous and was thankful her stomach was empty. She could feel a faint itch at the back of her mind that was irritating her. Slowly she opened her eyes only to close them quickly. The sunlight filtering in from outside pierced her eyes like tiny needles. She tried to move but found she was pinned by a set of arms and legs. She shifted again, more forcefully, to try and dislodge the grip around her. He relented with a small growl...wait...what? She slowly pulled herself out of the blankets and felt an immediate chill. Her legs were like jelly and she slowly looked down and realized she was almost naked. Her shirt was gone, as well as her shoes and her pants were cut up to the crotch. Embarrassment flooded into her mind.

Her left side was almost useless and her right leg and and head had been cut. She brought her head up to search for clothes and was rewarded by a wave of dizziness. Spots danced in front of her eyes and she had to close them for a moment. Taking a slow deep breath, it was cut short by a stabbing pain in her side. Broken ribs. She opened her eyes again and saw her bag in the corner. On unsteady legs she slowly walked over and carefully kneeled down. She soon found an outfit and her boots. She slowly eased her arms in, first her left side and head at the same time and then her right. She would have to make a sling later. She knew she had dislocated her shoulder too.

Tears were falling down her face at this point and she was desperately trying to stifle her cries. She had to be stronger than this. It was agony. Every movement was torture for her and she still needed to get her pants and boots on. Her left arm hung limply at her side and she undid her pants and shimmied them off. A sob escaped her as she braced herself against the wall and slowly lowered herself down. Using one hand she slowly put one foot in and then the other. She had to drag herself up and it took another five minutes of artful tugging to get them up and closed. She was glad her boots were slip-ons.

Blackness was on the edge of her vision and she knew she had to sit down again or she would pass out. She needed to check on Spock though. She realized that it wasn't her that had been that hot under the blanket but him. She worried about him having an infection. As she walked toward him the inseam on her pants kept catching on her stitches causing her to bite her lip, almost drawing blood.

She had nothing to brace herself so she had to go down as gently as possible which wasn't very gently. She landed next to him on her knees and fell onto her backside with a jarring thud causing her pain to intensify. With a gasp she looked up as tears starting falling again. It took a moment to collect herself but she finally did.

Looking down she saw Spock restlessly twitching in his sleep, his hand grasping at the spot next to him. A frown came to her face as she noticed his flushed cheeks. It was even reaching his ears and he was sweating. She had never seen a Vulcan sweat before. She reached down and almost put her hand on his head to check his temperature but stopped and just hovered it above. She could feel the heat coming off of him.

She focused on his breathing. It was way too fast and she could see his pulse pounding in his neck. It was like a vibration rather than the steady beat she knew it should be. She stood slowly and wobbled to the medical kit. She grabbed the hypospray and popped a fever reducer cartridge into it one handed and made her way back.

His movement had become more fitful in her absence and worry was gripping her. She felt guilty at not being able to help him. He probably had not rested properly while caring for her. He always put the crew before himself and now, because of it, he's gotten himself sick.

She moved to give him the injection when his hand seized her wrist in a painful grip causing the shot to fall from her hand. His eyes flew open and he swiftly moved to a sitting position still holding her wrist causing it to twist painfully and as she moved to compensate her body protested with new waves of pain shooting up her sides and head. She gasped in surprise and agony.

"Spock. I'm just trying to help. You have a fever. You're hurting me."

His eyes looked wild and unfocused. His pupils were far too large and she wondered if he had heard her.

"Spock." She whimpered.

It was like a curtain fell down over his eyes and he quickly released her. Tears stung at her eyes as she collected herself.

"I apologize. I had not expected you to wake for some time."

She nodded stiffly, still biting her lip trying to calm herself so her ribs would not keep hurting her.

"You need to lay down. You are obviously still in pain. I am pleased you are up but it is not conducive to your healing process. You will rest. I will administer some pain medication to help ease your discomfort."

She shook her head. She needed to move and do something. Even though it was painful, she was more worried for Spock. He kneeled in front of her hypo in hand.

"Miss Jones. I need you to get well. You will allow me to give you your medication and rest while I attempt to set up an emergency beacon."

"But you need it more than I do. You're burning up. What's going...ARGH! Dammit!"

He had struck out and injected her rougher than she had expected and she didn't expect it either. She shot him a glare and he moved, picking her up carefully and placing her back on the pallet. The edges of her vision were blurry and she did feel better but very tired. He pulled the blanket over her and helped her drink some water before she started feeling her eyes close. Even her worry could not keep her awake for long. She could feel him next to her, watching her as she drifted into a deep sleep.

Commander Spock had woken to the young woman trying to give him a shot. He had not intended to frighten or injure her. He had fully expected to wake before her. He knew there were no medications tat could help him with this.

Seeing her, he had noticed that she was holding herself stiffly and his brief touch had confirmed his belief that she was in terrible pain. He could not understand her lack of self-preservation. It would have been logical for her to tend to herself upon waking and then attempt to treat him. She had even refused treatment. It was unacceptable. Once she was sleeping he sat and rested for two hours to be sure she would stay put. He then set out to the shuttle to retrieve the emergency beacon.

It had taken a full three hours to drag it to their location. His tool kit hung on his side as he moved into their cave. He dragged the unit to the corner and stopped. It was too quiet. His head snapped around and he noticed with a sinking feeling that the pallet was empty. Fear then gripped him. He couldn't control the strength of it. it was a curse of his time. He dropped his tools and moved over to where she had been. It was cold, so it had been a while.

He quickly moved to the entrance and looked out at the landscape. To one side, it was a meadow, open and easy to see and on the other there was a line of trees. He moved in that direction. His legs pumping furiously as he listened for any sounds. He heard a twig snap and he froze. It was behind him and to his right. He slowly turned.

He saw her stumbling in his direction. Charlotte was stumbling through the foliage clumsily and he felt irritation. He took a deep breath to control these thoughts and strode forward quickly to assist her.

"Miss Jones, what are you doing out here?"

She yelped and pulled the phaser on him. Seeing who it was she lowered it sagging. He grabbed her arm and started to help steer her through the trees and back to their cave.

"I had to go to the restroom."

"You should have waited."

"Sorry. I wasn't sure how long you were going to be. Also, I didn't want to be a burden."

He stopped and looked at her. His eyes looking at all of her. Taking her in. Her blue eyes bright and vivid, her hair, tangled and framing her heart shaped face. She was beautiful. How could she ever think herself a burden.

"You are not a burden. I was simply concerned. I am responsible for your care and you are not adhering to my requests."

"A bit like the pot calling the kettle black? I know you're not well yourself."

Spock looked away and started steering them into he cave. He chose not to answer. This was an embarrassing situation.

"Let me help you. What's going on?"

"Please sit and eat. I will bring you rations and your medication. You do seem to be improving since your rest."

He was thankful when she fell silent. He moved over, handing her some rations and water and prepared a shot.

"Whoa! I only need a minimal dose. I need to gage my level of pain to know how I'm healing."

"Very well."

He adjusted and gently administered it, his hands lightly brushing her neck. She shivered in response. A smile hinted on his lips.

"Spock."

"Yes?"

"You need to tell me what's wrong?"

"It is personal."

Six days left. It was a mantra he used to calm himself. He needed her help. He wanted it and with the situation this stressful he knew he wasn't going to make it without her. The close proximity, the lack of rest for him, it was getting to him.

"Spock. I need to know."

Six days.

"Spock."

"Desist your questioning." He spat.

He saw her eyes widen in alarm and he closed his eyes taking a deep breath.

"Please sleep now that you have eaten. I will build a fire and attempt to construct an emergency beacon. I need to try and shield it from the electromagnetic interference."

"Alright. I'm just worried about you. Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"Not with the beacon."

"Ok. Thank you and good night."

He slowly turned away and focused on his task. He could feel his body tremble and he couldn't focus. It was moving too quickly.

Charlotte woke some time in the night to the sound of whimpering. She shook her head trying to clear the last cobwebs of sleep from her head and looked around. She didn't see anything at first but on closer inspection she noticed Spock huddled in the back corner of he cave. He was clearly distressed. She slowly moved to him and crouched down. She didn't feel any pain so she assumed Spock had taken care of her while she had slept. She appreciated his care but now he needed hers.

"Spock...are you alright? Please, let me help you."

His head snapped up. His eyes were wild. He lunged forward and grabbed her arms leaning in to her. She gave a squeak of protest but didn't move. His lips gently brushed along the space between her shoulder and neck. She shivered at the contact and pulled back to see him better.

What she saw surprised and frightened her slightly. His face was deeply flushed, pupils dilated to the point where they were black orbs, she could feel heat radiating off his body in waves and his heart was beating so fast she was sure he was going to have a heart attack.

"I need your help."

"That's what I've been trying to do."

"It is called Pon Far."

"What is?"

His hands released her arms and moved to her back, gently but firmly pinning her against him.

"The blood fever, the biological drive that every adult Vulcan male must endure every seven years to mate. If they do not, then the fever will kill them. I misjudged my ability to control the drive. I am closer to the end than I had believed. I am...in the final stage, Plak Tow."

"So...you need to have...sex. And then you'd be ok?"

"Yes."

Charlotte bit her lip. She couldn't let him die. Not after he'd saved her life. It was just sex. She'd be able to put it behind her and she knew he would too. He'd be back to normal after and they could move on. She knew without that beacon it would be another 5-7 days before the Enterprise would get here and with it, at least another two for them to get permission to enter the system. If this was Kirk she'd never have believed him but something in Spock's face told her he wasn't lying. He wasn't unattractive and it'd be only one night.

"Ok. Just please be gentle."

He tilted his head.

"Ya'akash koon-ut so'lik."

She didn't understand his words. She had only a rudimentary understanding of Vulcan but she could tell the words were important. Spock was looking at her, waiting.

"Uh...yes?"

His reaction was immediate taking her by surprise. His hands moved under her shirt in the back and she could feel them as they slid under, tiny sparks dancing across her skin. He slowly lifted her shirt off using his finger tips sliding it up slowly, making sure to keep the palms of his hands touching her at all times. She could almost feel his excitement and he threw the shirt across the room. Maybe to be sure she couldn't reach it or maybe to vent frustration. Whatever it was, she didn't care now. He took her hand and folded down most of her fingers except the first two and he proceeded to mimic the gesture and slowly moved his fingers along hers. His hand was shaking terribly as he reached her wrist and he waited.

She somehow knew to return the gesture. And he repeated it, much more calmly.

"This...is how vulcans kiss."

His hand trailed up her arm and gently cupped the back of her head, her hair spilling over and he moved in kissing her neck. She leaned back and his nose brushed up her neck as he continued his kiss moving to her chin and then...

"And this is how humans kiss."

His mouth was on hers, lips pressing together. It was like kissing fire. His mouth parted and she felt his tongue. She opened and allowed his tongue to dart in bringing hers into a duel. His other hand trailed along her side moving downward, running along her belly and moving further. He flipped the button on her pants but then slid his hand up slowly making sure to trace the curves of her body.

He pulled away and it left her light headed. Lights popping in her eyes. He picked her up and carried her to the mat and gently laid her down, looking at her hungrily. He pulled off his shirt and leaned over her placing scorching kisses along her collarbone. She arched her back in pleasure and he smoothly moved his hands under her and undid her bra clasp slowly pulling it off and stared. Uncertainty flickered as she waited and she moved to cover herself.

"I'm..."

"Magnificent."

He gently batted her hands away and cupped her breasts, kissing each one and kissed down her stomach as his hands fumbled with her zipper. Her feeling of arousal grew as he neared her. He slowly pulled off her pants and then pulled his off quickly. He toyed with the elastic letting his fingers brush against her skin. She moaned in anticipation and he looked at her in what seemed like nervousness. She nodded to let him know it was ok.

He pulled them down and his hands stroked along her thighs moving closer. Gently he touched her and she leaned into it feeling her self becoming more sensitive as his touch became more familiar. She was breathing deeply. He moved down kissing her legs and using his hands stroke her and touch her. It felt like a coil was winding in her belly. It felt so good. Before she knew it she saw stars exploding, the coil snapped.

"Oh, Spock. Oh, god!"

Her hands reached down to grab his hair and she touched his face. Immediately, thoughts and words hit her.

_Perfect match. Beautiful. Mine._

She drew back puzzled but he moved up. In that moment he had removed his boxers. He was fully erect. He started kissing her neck and she relaxed into it feeling her excitement spike again as she felt him pressing next to her. He slowly guided himself in and he looked into her eyes the entire time. She wrapped her legs around his hips and used her good arm to brace herself. It felt like she was being skewered by hot iron but it was at the same time pleasant. Once he was inside her, he brushed her hair out of her face and moved his hand along her face.

His hand moved and fingers pressed themselves into certain points. She tried to turn her head but found she couldn't. His other arm was in the was She suddenly felt a small thrill of fear.

"Spock?"

He started gently thrusting and talking.

"Spock?"

She felt waves of pleasure hitting her mind and it was overwhelming. There was a love that was not of her own flooding her mind and gratitude. It was hard to think. She felt a presence tying itself to her, pushing at her defenses.

"T'nash-veh. My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts. Tuluk-tu nam-tor t'nash-veh adun'a. Ashayem."

His thrusts became harder and more frantic. His mouth moved to her collarbone and he bit down hard,growling and breaking her skin. She felt a presence wrap around her mind. He was there. He was anchoring himself to her.

He shuddered and slowly pulled his hand away. She felt a warmth seep inside her and his body stopped moving and he breathed deeply. Her eyes were wide with uncertainty. Her hand could feel his temperature falling and he leaned in and kissed her. He slowly moved over and laid next to her turning her so that her body was pressed tightly against his. She could sense contentment and peace from him but her mind was frantic.

He pressed closer and whispered into her ear.

"Rest, ashayem."

His arms and legs wrapped themselves around her and she couldn't move. She felt peace but it was not hers. Something was bothering her. That was not just sex. It took a lot of effort but she finally fell asleep.

**AN:**

**ya'akash koon-ut so'lik: I request marriage.**

**t'nash-veh : mine**

**Tuluk-tu nam-tor t'nash-veh adun'a. Ashayem. : you will be my wife. Beloved.**

**Ashayem: beloved**

**This is according to the Vulcan language dictionary on the web. I hope it's ok. Any changes or ideas are always welcome.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ah...what to say? Well, charlotte's naive but she knows something more went on than what she was led to believe would happen. The fun of awkward situations. The morning after. Also, please note that I'm doubtful that most Vulcan bonds were chosen in love. A lot of times (from what I read) they were typically bonded as children based on compatibility, family status, etc. So I think that a lot of the times love came later and I think that most Vulcans have passion and a possessiveness of their mates that is instinctual left over from the time before Surak. I hope this chapter is ok. It's going to be time for realizations.**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Six

Charlotte woke up still pinned in Spock's arms. He was much cooler and she breathed a small sigh of relief. The small breath brought a sharp knife like pain to her side. She gasped in surprise. Waking up more fully, she realized her body was aching all over and her head pounded with a strange buzzing sensation. Her good arm was pinned beneath her and her left was still weak from her original injuries. She slowly shimmied to moved out of Spock's grip and got about three inches before she felt his limbs tighten and pull her back roughly.

She gasped in pain and felt a small sense of panic. She sensed Spock moved behind her and immediately the buzzing stopped. She could sense his concern in her mind and it forced her panic forward. Fear gripped her heart and she struggled to control her breathing. As she was about to enter a full panic attack she felt a hand stroke her cheek and waves of calmness flooded her mind. She closed her eyes. Her chest still feeling on fire but her breathing slowed.

"It is afternoon ashayem. I sense you are in pain from the lateness of your medication and you need to eat. There is no need to panic. I will not harm you."

She made an indignant snort and couldn't help thinking she was screwed. That this was not normal. And wonder what ashayem mean't. Spock moved out of the bed and carefully adjusted the covers over her. Charlotte watched him dress and collect the rations, water and the hypo. He knelt down by her side and administered a moderate dose. She couldn't help herself flinching away but she wasn't quick enough. The medication came into her system, numbing her. Though she didn't enjoy the pain, it had been helping her focus.

He placed the water next to her and handed her the food. She watched him and he watched her.

"What?"

"I assure you, you are not "screwed" as you so eloquently put it. This is normal after a pon far as bonding is part of the mating process. Ashayem means beloved. You are now my beloved. You saved me from certain death and we are now joined. You agreed to koon-ut so'lik."

Charlotte almost choked on her food. She started coughing.

"Wait a minute. Bonded? You didn't say that." She rasped.

Spock tilted his head and his eyes almost expressed a mix of puzzlement and amusement. His amusement was like that of when a parent had to explain something simple to a child and that said child still wouldn't understand. His hand went to touch her cheek and she moved away. She felt betrayed. She felt stupid. Spock waited a moment and pulled his hand back slowly. He took a slow breath.

"You are not stupid. It is possible you misinterpreted my phrasing or did not have an adequate knowledge of Vulcan culture. It was an oversight on my behalf. I will not be remiss in my duties of educating you in these things anymore. Do you have any questions?"

She could sense his feelings the closer he got to her. It gave her a headache.

"When you say bonded, what do you mean?"

He nodded.

"I mean that I declared koon-ut so'lik. A marriage proposal and you agreed. It is necessary in order to facilitate the end of pon far to mate. That means a joining of bodies, as well as minds. We have a marriage bond. There is none stronger and it was required to complete Plak-tow, the time of mating. Had I not joined with you in mind and body I would not have survived."

It was about halfway through that description that Charlotte had stopped listening. Her mouth was open and her mind just shut down processing. Marriage bond. One thought flickered across her mind and a thrill of fear was attached. _Does that mean we're married?_

She turned wide eyes to Spock. Somehow, she knew he had heard that thought. She didn't have the capacity for speech right now. She was reeling from the information and the pain killer was making her tired. She blinked slowly, waiting.

He just nodded.

"According to Vulcan law, you are my adun'a or wife. You will now be recognized as a citizen of Vulcan. A dual citizenship, if you will."

She shook her head numbly.

"Not if I say nothing happened. I want a divorce. I didn't want you to die not become your wife."

Spock looked at her carefully. She felt that she had hurt him by her statement but behind that hurt there was a confidence she didn't like. This time she tilted her head.

"My father was on his way with a healer before we left. He knew what was happening. You will be unable to deny what has happened when he sees that I am alive and well. A healer can verify our bond."

He paused for a moment bringing his hands up and steepled his fingers in thought. She could feel uneasiness filter through. She radiated back anger at his words. He jumped slightly and she smiled at him.

"As for divorce, it is near impossible. It could be detrimental to both of our minds to sever the bond."

"Then I'll ask for a transfer."

"For the first year a couple that has bonded must remain within close contact otherwise the bond could fracture and break causing irreparable harm."

At this point she was so furious she didn't care. Spock took her silence as an end to their discussion and moved to set to work repairing the emergency beacon. She gathered the blanket around her and stiffly made her way to get her clothes. She needed a walk. Spock stood up and walked over to her.

"You need to rest. You are still recovering and last night was not conducive to your healing."

Her head snapped up.

"I need a walk."

Clearly her anger was unsettling him but her point was made. She bent down to gather her things and a wave of dizziness hit her causing her to stumble and fall. Spock quickly caught her and lifted her up. He easily carried her to their bed and laid her down. She shot him a filthy look but didn't move. She hated feeling this weak. He brushed a strand of her hair on her face and she could feel his concern for her and guilt for causing her recovery to be stalled. She sighed and turned away, closing her eyes. Spock moved away quietly and she resigned herself to following his will and soon fell asleep.

Spock sat and was attempting to create a shield around the power source of the beacon. He was only able to use a few of the tools he had. He focused on activating the beam and using metal plates he had collected on his first trip to weld them together a create a physical shield. He put the protective goggles on and set to work.

The work was going well. He had seen sparks of energy from the device as he worked to shield it. The work gave him time to think. He was unsure why Charlotte was so upset. He attempted to remember the night before. She had accepted his proposal. She had kissed back and he remembered she had enjoyed herself. He had felt her pleasure during his touch. She had felt fear at the end but that was understandable. Mind melds were an unsettling occurrence, even to vulcans. He decided he would give her some time to adjust to her new situation. He would allow her her privacy, for now.

The light on the beacon came on faintly and stayed on. He had finally created enough shielding to block the electromagnetic interference. He studied the read outs and noted with some disappointment that although it kept the interference out and was able to function, it's range was severely limited due to the shield he had created. At most it would reach the edge of the solar system. Not far enough to reach the Enterprise but enough to allow them to find them once they came looking.

Captain Kirk was reading through a report on engine output and thinking. He blinked his eyes and realized he had read the same sentence three times without really reading it. He was uneasy. Normally, Spock would be sending long and very detailed reports at least twice a day and he hadn't heard from him in three. Spock knew protocol and would always stick to the book. He was waiting for Uhura to get through to the office of the minister of the Zenitian people. So far, they had been put on a wait list.

He has spoken to Admiral Brewster about the lack of communication and he had stated that Kirk was to, by any means necessary, uphold the wishes of these people. It was frustrating. He normally would have stormed in and taken charge but he was still a new captain and everyone was watching him. Admiral Brewster had put that in his answer, too. He looked to Uhura who was currently arguing with a representative of Prime Minister Vree'tak. Her words were clipped and short but the frustration was evident.

Kirk wondered how the federation was going to be able to work with these people if they were unwilling to work with them. He put down his PADD in frustration and reviewed the diplomatic protocol attempting to find a loophole but there was none. A thought hit him.

"Lieutenant Uhura?"

Her head snapped around and her face was still flushed with anger from her last conversation. She had to take a deep breath before trusting herself to respond.

"Yes, sir."

"I know we've been focusing on trying to get permission to move into the system to check on our team but maybe we should try a different question."

She frowned at him.

"And what would that be?"

He smiled a tight smile.

"Ask them if they've heard from our team. And if not, ask if we can move in and help since the away team may not be doing an adequate job and we can replace them."

Uhura's face lit up and Jim could see her excitement. The Zenitians loved to try and state that the federation was inferior. This was just playing up their alley. He watched as Uhura typed in the message to them and almost immediately they got a response.

"They're hailing us."

Kirk put on his most accommodating smile and sat straighter in his chair.

"Open channel, lieutenant."

The screen came up to show a squat, blue alien with golden eyes. He almost looked Bolian but he had bright red hair that came up in wisps around his head. He looked angry and Jim knew why. They had been bugging them for two days now to get permission to enter and now the Enterprise is not getting reports.

"Good afternoon. I'm Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. To whom am I speaking with?"

The alien looked even more offended by the question. He shook slightly but started to talk.

"I am sub-minister for the northern quadrant of Zeti-4. My name is Pal-Teek. I am responding to your question of receiving reports. We have not. We are disappointed in the lack of communication from your team. If we have not received anything by noon tomorrow, we authorize you to retrieve your team."

Before Kirk had a chance to reply the screen shut off. Sulu's eyes were wide with disbelief and he spun around in his seat.

"Friendly little guy, huh?"

Sulu's comment was an understatement. Kirk started to laugh and relax a little. Noon tomorrow.

Charlotte woke up and saw that it was late afternoon. She felt grimy and needed a walk to clear her head. She looked around for Spock and saw him still working on the beacon so she quietly stood and padded over to her clothes. She was thankful that she was feeling a little better but she'd seen enough of this cave to last a lifetime. She grabbed her clothes and shoes and saw a small disinfectant bar.

She'd seen a small lake near here when she'd gone to the bathroom yesterday. A quick wash would make her feel a lot better. She grabbed the bar and one of the sheets still in the bag. She'd need a type of towel and that was as good as it was going to get. Her arm full, she made her way outside and dressed outside. Spock had been so busy with his work he hadn't moved and for that, she was grateful.

It took a good ten minutes to pull on her clothes. She finally had some movement in her left arm but was still hampered by her ribs. Dressed, she made her way to the lake. It was a 20 minute walk because of her state but it had been worth it.

The water was a beautiful shade of blue, clear and mirroring the sky above. The grass was soft under her feet. Small purple flowers surrounded her and enveloped her in a rich, sweet smell. She breathed deeply and she shed her clothes.

The water was much warmer than she had thought it would be and she closed her eyes. The water helped cushion her bruised body. She started to wash and her blood, and the dirt and sweat came off. It felt like she was washing away her troubles. She slowly twirled in the water finally feeling relaxed.

Her hand moved up to wash her chest and she came across a bite mark on her collarbone. It wasn't deep but it was there. Her mind flashed back to the previous night and suddenly she didn't feel so relaxed anymore.

Spock finished typing up the message letting the Enterprise know about the crash, the reasons and their co-ordinates. He had been working and was starting to feel hunger pains. He looked up and realized it was late afternoon, almost evening. Charlotte would need to eat as well. He stood and was walking to their pallet when he stopped dead.

She was gone. He could see no struggle so he assumed she had left of her own volition. He quickly moved to the mouth of the cave and saw their blanket on the floor. He looked toward the meadow and then toward the trees. He saw flattened grass heading towards the trees. He set off after her.

He calmed his mind and attempted to seek her out by using their bond in conjunction with his tracking. He sensed utter peace and bliss. It was an interesting sensation. Almost pleasant. He continued on the trail and came to a lake. He stayed in the trees and looked for her.

He easily found her. Her bright blond hair was reflecting the sun and she was causing a disturbance in the water. He watched her as she slowly twirled and spun, moving through the water gracefully. He sensed her joy and relaxation. He did not wish to disturb her. He sat and waited.

She continued her cleaning for another twenty minutes before her demeanor changed. He felt anxiety rip through the peace and then disappointment. He saw her looking at her chest and touching his mark. She quickly removed herself from the water and used a sheet to dry off. She slowly dressed herself. Once she had dressed, she continued to dry her hair one handed and she sat down in the grass.

He watched her stare at the water for 15.5 minutes before deciding it was time to head back to their shelter. The sun was setting and the air becoming crisp. He walked up to her and waited for acknowledgement.

"Spock."

"Charlotte, it is time you came back."

She sighed and slowly stood up. Spock took her arm to assist her but she pulled away and sped up her pace. He could feel her attempting to distance herself and he could not allow it. It could hurt her as well as him.

Once they reached the cave she sat on the far side and stared at the wall. He did not wish to cause her this distress and he needed it to stop. Her emotions were causing turbulence affecting him as well. He brought over some rations and water and sat next to her.

"Charlotte?"

"Yes."

"Am I such a substandard choice of a mate that you would choose to distance yourself and cause harm to both of us?"

She grimaced at the words and she turned and faced him.

"It's not that. I'm sure you would be a fine husband for someone. I just don't like... And I don't know you that well and now...I feel..."

Her head turned back to the wall.

"I don't know. Please, leave me alone."

Spock sat next to her contemplating her words. They left him with more questions than answers.

"I apologize. I will not be able to leave you alone. You are my adun'a. My wife. I cannot allow you to distance yourself from me. I would be remiss in my responsibilities as your adun. Your husband. I cannot allow you to cause harm to yourself by these actions."

She slowly turned back to him. Her eyes wide. Her face flushing red in frustration.

"I am not your wife. I might like you as a colleague but right now, that's not even there. I need time and for you to back off. I can't even have my thoughts to myself. I'm a private person. I need space."

She took a sip of water and slowly stood, wincing and walked to their pallet. She made a show of grabbing the blanket and moving closer to the beacon where he had been working and she wrapped herself up and laid down on the ground facing away.

He sighed and was curious about her stubbornness to accept her situation. She was willing to be uncomfortable to prove a point. It was illogical. It would only cause her to regress in her healing again. He would let her believe she won this battle. She would see his point soon.

He built up a fire and removed the spare blanket from the bags. He sat and wrapped it around himself and meditated lightly through the night. He noticed her shivering violently and could feel her pain building as it jostled her ribs. He sighed and walked over sitting next to her.

"Charlotte?"

"Wh-what?"

Her voice was trembling. She was shaking so hard and he realized that she had not been able to sleep the entire time due to her discomfort and the cold.

"I believe you need to rest closer to the fire. At this stage, your ribs are unstable again and you may be entering the beginnings of hypothermia."

She stayed still. Her stubbornness, though impressive, was childlike. He gently picked her up and put her back on their shared bed placing his blanket on top of hers. She stopped shivering quickly and mumbled a quiet thanks and fell asleep soon after.

He placed his hand on her head and took some of her pain away. He saw the lines in her face smooth and he took a deep breath and waited for morning.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Charlotte pulled herself up into a sitting position. She looked around and saw a small bunch of flowers next to her. They were the same purple ones from near the lake. She frowned and picked them up. They were arranged carefully and she looked at them, smiling. Bringing them to her nose, she could smell the sweet scent coming from them. She held them close and closed her eyes.

"I am pleased that you like them. I remembered that you appreciated them yesterday."

Spock. Her eyes flew open at the intrusion and she slowly put them down, carful to not damage them. He had to have brought them for her and while the gesture was sweet, she didn't feel comfortable with it.

"Thank you. I appreciate your thoughtfulness." She said mechanically.

She turned to him and gave him a small smile.

"I think we should talk. I want to keep this thing private. I don't want anyone to know."

She waited for his response and continued. Though this part was a lie, she wanted to sweeten the deal.

"For your integrity, you know? It doesn't look good for a commander and an ensign to do what we did. I think we can be friends."

She smiled more fully but stopped when she felt a gentle pushing sensation in her mind. More like a gentle search. She quickly tried to push back.

"I see that you are again attempting to distance yourself. You have no need to concern yourself on the question of my integrity being placed in jeopardy. I am not your commanding officer during the majority of the time and as such it would be a non-issue."

She shook her head at his matter of fact statement and then realized he had not spoken aloud. Her head tilted, questioning. Her eyes widened at the knowledge of him talking to her in her mind. It frightened her. She didn't like being accessed like that. She just looked away and didn't reply.

"I will allow your privacy for now but it will be known once my father arrives."

Spock continued to talk to her telepathically. Almost as if he was setting his terms. A beeping interrupted them and Spock stood and looked at their beacon.

"I believe the Enterprise is attempting to transport. I will assist you in getting up."

Relief flooded her. She would finally be home. She felt Spock take hold of her arm and irritation shot through as she jerked it away.

"I can do it myself. Thank you, though."

She slowly stood next to him as they waited. She could sense his anxiety and she closed herself to it. The tingling sensation soon came and they found themselves in the transporter room.

"I've got them, Keptin!"

Chekov's voice rang out and Charlotte smiled. It was a beautiful sound. She stepped down carefully and saw the captain was waiting. His face full of worry but relief quickly took over when he saw them.

"Welcome back! I'm glad to see you're both alright. Charlotte, you look like you need sickbay. I look forward to your debriefing later today."

She gave a small smile and left without looking back.

The trip to sickbay was peaceful and filled with people. It was good to be back. She saw Dr. McCoy filling out a form and walked up.

"Hi! Just thought I'd drop by. See if I've missed anything."

She was pleased to see him jump in surprise. However, his expression was not pleasant when he looked her over. His face was turning almost purple.

"It's not as bad as it looks. We didn't have any working equipment."

He didn't speak. He pulled out his medical scanner and started running it over her. She noticed he had started twitching in irritation as the readings were coming through. She wrapped her arms around her in a gesture of self comfort. She waited while he finished.

"It's bad. Three broken ribs, tendon and muscle damage from a dislocation, concussion, and...are these stitches?"

His last words were absolutely shrill. She nodded and felt a sting in her neck.

"Dammit! I've had enough of those to last a lifetime. Spock wouldn't leave me alone."

"Well, I'm glad he had the common sense to give you antibiotics. I haven't seen stitches since medical school and even then only in a history book. I need to get a better look."

She felt herself being steered to the private examination room and he handed her a gown. She quickly pulled it on and he came back with Chapel. She laid down carefully and he worked on her ribs.

When he came on the bite mark on her collarbone he paused.

"Charlotte, what's this?"

She tensed and looked up. She wouldn't admit it.

"I...it's from the accident. The buckle must have hit me there."

Though he looked skeptical, he didn't say anything and ran the dermal regenerator over it. He pulled out her stitches and was able to minimize any scarring. Then onto a more detailed neural scan to check for any head trauma. Her anxiety rising, she stayed as still as she could.

"Ensign...I see there's an increase in neural activity. Almost everywhere. Did you eat anything or do anything on the planet that can account for this?"

She knew she could lie but it'd show up so she went for deflection.

"I took a swim in the lake to clean up. By myself."

He nodded and put the information in. Her body finally healed she stretched and was able to enjoy it.

"You're fine apart from the unusual brain activity. I want to keep an eye on it. I want you on light duty for the next couple of days. Go and get some rest."

"Adun'a, I sense you are feeling better. I will see you this evening for dinner."

She jumped at the sound. Bones was on her in a second.

"What's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?"

"I'm fine. I think I'll get some rest. I'm not hungry or anything so if Spock comes by, could you tell him I'm resting."

He looked skeptical but let it pass. He started putting away his tools as Charlotte left. It was going to be a long couple of days.

Spock followed the captain to his quarters. He felt a sense of unease at seeing Charlotte leave the transporter room. He needed her near him. He felt her pulling away and ignoring their bond. This was causing him to feel unbalanced. It was becoming difficult to focus. His thoughts were straying to her.

"What happened down there?"

Spock's head snapped up. He had not realized the captain had been speaking to him.

"There was severe electromagnetic interference that disrupted all technological devices, including that of the shuttle. We had not realized until it was too late and the shuttle lost power. After Miss Parker deployed the flaps to slow us down she realized that part of her harness would not function. She became injured as a result."

Thoughts of her broken body flashed in his mind and he vowed that he would take care of her. He would make sure she would stay safe.

"I'm glad you were there. It's good to have a cool head in times of crisis."

Spock nodded absently.

"Spock? Are you alright? You don't seem like yourself."

Spock turned to Jim and lifted an eyebrow.

"I assure you captain, I am myself. I just find that I am having difficulty focusing. I have not been able to receive adequate rest during my time on Zeti-6."

Jim looked taken aback at such an obvious dismissal.

"Alright, I'll wait for your report. I do want to you get checked out by McCoy though. You looked a little off before the mission and to be quite frank, you look like hell right now."

Jim patted him on the back and left. Spock sat and closed his eyes. He could still feel Charlotte's presence in his mind. She seemed relaxed and pleased. He advised her to meet him for dinner. To be apart would serve no purpose.

He received no reply through his request. It was possible she did not feel the confidence to speak through their link. It was strong, otherwise he would not be able to talk to her. Her absence was unsettling and he focused on his meditation.

After two hours, he did not feel more rested. He began to feel anger. Charlotte still had not replied to him. He showered and changed and left to meet her. He checked the mess hall and she was not there, then he looked in the medical bay and his frustration was beginning to grow. He went to her quarters and chimed for entrance.

He chimed twice more.

"Computer, location of Ensign Charlotte Jones."

"Charlotte Jones is in her quarters."

Spock put in his override code and walked in. Her quarters were much smaller than his. They were neat and tastefully decorated. Prints of cities were on her wall and small sculptures of modern art were placed on the few shelves she had. The only mess he could identify was a pile of PADDs at her desk. The majority were medical textbooks.

"What the hell, Commander?"

Her face was full of anger. He could feel it. He focused on sending calming thoughts to her to help her calm herself.

"I merely wished to ascertain that you have recovered fully from your injuries. You did not reply to me and I grew concerned. I have been finding it difficult to concentrate now that we are separated."

She frowned but her face softened. She sighed and came closer.

"I've got a lot of work to do before I go to bed tonight. I'm busy. I'm sorry."

Spock moved closer. He could smell lavender and chamomile on her. It was a comforting scent, one his mother had used when she had had a particularly stressful day.

"I can assist you."

She rolled her eyes in a sign of frustration.

"I'm good. Thanks."

She turned to leave and Spock grabbed her arm.

"Hey."

She pulled away but he didn't let go. She should not be refusing him. She was his. A low growl sounded and Charlotte's eyes grew wide. She could sense his feeling of ownership and she didn't like it. She stopped struggling and let her arm go slack. She wasn't a match for Vulcan strength and Spock knew it.

"You have not eaten. You will come and eat. If you do not, I will inform the doctor."

She shot him a glare.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"We are bonded. I know that you are lying."

He released her and waited for her to pull on her shoes. She slowly put them on and glanced at the chronometer. Seeing it, he felt a small sense of triumph that was not his.

"Oh, darn. Mess hall's closed. Well, I'll see you another day. Good night Commander."

He sat on the chair at her desk and pulled a PADD out. He quickly typed up a message and sent it off.

"What did you do?"

She moved over to him and tried to grab the PADD from him. He easily moved it out of her reach.

"I simply sent a message to the kitchens informing them that we had arrived back only recently and would appreciate use of their replicator for the next two hours."

She grumbled but put on her shoes. They walked out and Spock had to restrain himself from touching her. Her off-duty clothing was only making the situation more difficult. She was wearing a small shirt that only had thin straps holding the fabric in place and capris pants hugging her small frame tightly. Her hair had dried in curls and was falling down between her shoulder blades. The curls were fascinating in their chaos. She must straighten her hair, he thought to himself.

She noticed him staring at her and she continued walking straight on. She had made sure to bring her files with her so she could do her work. He seemed off. She knew that his father was on the way with a healer and that they would set him straight.

The next three days passed in a haze. The Zenitians were upset, to say the least. They had demanded a different ship and Kirk had been happy enough to accommodate them. Charlotte had been keeping busy with paperwork and was soon set to start back to full-time duty. She'd been doing alright but had been having headaches and the doctor hadn't been able to find a reason. She'd been able to successfully avoid Spock most of the time. It was like he'd memorized her damn schedule.

She looked up from her inventory report and sighed rubbing the bridge of her nose. She'd let herself go over the past couple of days. She hadn't had time to straighten her hair or put on make-up. The bright light of her vanity made her headaches worse. She heard a shuffle behind her and she turned quickly, it was McCoy. He was looking at her in concern.

"Yes, doctor?"

"Headache?"

"I'm fine. Staring at PADDs for three days would get to anyone."

She smiled and he came closer. He was worried and she would feel the same way if it was him in her situation. She fidgeted under his scrutiny.

"I want to do a quick check before I clear you for duty."

She rolled her eyes.

"It'll take a minute. Do it for me. It'll make me feel better."

She got up and allowed him to move her onto a biobed and scan her. She saw his frown increasing as he read the results. It made her nervous. She started to feel her heart beat quicker.

"Your serotonin levels are low. I can give you something but I think you need to take the rest of the day off."

Heat creeped up her face in embarrassment. She should be back to normal now. It just wasn't making sense. Maybe she needed to increase her distance from Spock. She'd been wanting to take some time off to finish her ARNP program. She figured now was as good of a time as any.

"Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

He pressed a hypo to her neck and her headache started to go away. She could smile without pain.

"I was hoping to talk to you. I'll be sending a transfer request later but I wanted to tell you first. I was hoping you'd sign my request to be placed at Starfleet Medical. I think that trying to do distance learning is just not working for me."

McCoy's head snapped around. His eyebrows went up in surprise and his mouth was slightly open.

"I don't understand. You're doing great here and I thought you liked it here."

She did and her reasons were more than what she had told him but it was enough for a valid transfer.

"I just don't think it's for me. I'll have the request sent to you in a minute. I'm sorry."

"If that's what you want. I don't want to lose you but I do want you to be happy. You haven't been these past couple of days."

She nodded and stood to leave but he pulled her in a tight hug before she could go. She felt tears in her eyes. She would miss him.

Spock was on the bridge when the request to dock came through.

"Captain, Ambassador Sarek of New Vulcan is requesting permission to dock."

Kirk did a double take. His face showed surprise and his eyebrows shot up. He stood over Uhura to confirm what he heard.

"Well, I guess tell him shuttle bay 2. Mr. Spock, let's go see what this is about."

Spock was struggling to maintain professional detachment and his hands had started shaking again. He was grateful he had not cancelled his father's meeting. This was something that only a Vulcan healer could handle.

They arrived at the shuttle bay and waited while docking completed. Kirk straightened his shirt and turned to Spock.

"You sure you don't know why he's here? Maybe to talk to the Zenitians. They were pretty mad."

"I believe he is here for me, captain. I have been...unwell as of late and it is something only a healer can help me with."

Kirk frowned looking at Spock. He was angry but he would talk to him later about it. Spock did not wish to disclose a private matter with the young captain.

The Ambassador and an old Vulcan stepped out of the shuttle. Both were wearing long dark robes and their faces were serene. Spock raised his hand in the traditional salute and they returned the gesture.

"Live long and prosper."

"And you, my son."

Sarek turned his attention to the Captain giving him a slight nod.

"Captain, I apologize for the intrusion. I was hoping to have a visit with my son. I have not seen him in some time and then I was told of the recent shuttle accident. I came to ascertain he is in adequate health. This is healer Suvel. If you do not mind?"

"Of course, sir. Mr. Spock. I would like to speak with you later. Ambassador."

Spock watched the captain leave and turned to Sarek and the healer. The healer was very old. His skin was so thin it was almost transparent and his hair was pure white. His eyes were larger than Spock was used to but he moved with a sure pace. They moved to Spock's quarters before they spoke.

"Spock, I see that you are unwell however, if it was still pon far you would be beyond reason and deep into plak tow at this stage. Please advise us."

Spock sat on the couch while his father sat next to him. Spock took a deep breath to try and regain his composure. His control was slipping.

"Father, during my time on the planet I was unable to meditate to control my affliction. I was forced to resolve myself to death or take a mate. Her name is Charlotte Jones and she was the female I had discussed with you during our last conversation."

Spock's heart rate increased as he said her name. Anger filtered though and he could feel the temperature rise in his cheeks.

"Then why are you in this state? If she has bonded with you? I see no evidence of her here."

Spock shook his head.

"She is refusing to acknowledge the bond. She does not see us as husband and wife. She has been...stubborn. It has been becoming more difficult to control my emotions as of late. I will see her and wish to claim her again. I will see other males touch her and it is almost impossible to stop myself from hurting them."

Sarek nodded at his son's statement. This was a natural reaction.

"Father, I believe that she is planning to leave."

Sarek turned to Suvel and nodded. Suvel stepped over to Spock and placed his hands on the meld points. Immediately, Spock felt the intrusion in his mind. An almost clinical probing. The link was gently pulled and Spock winced slightly and then he felt Suvel's presence spread over the link to seek Charlotte. Spock saw the image of a transfer request and it left him cold. Suvel quickly departed.

"The link is strong. I would not be able to break it and I know of no other that could. They need time together to restrengthen it. It is fracturing, causing damage to both minds."

Sarek nodded his understanding.

"I will see what I can do."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi! Charlotte's not having the best of luck is she? She may have to come to accept the situation. I mainly feel bad for Spock. He's trying to respect her wishes against his instincts. **

**Tishbing**

Chapter Eight

Charlotte was covered in sweat. Her heart pumping furiously as she moved across the floor. The music was vibrating loudly and she moved her legs in time to the beat moving smoothly. She loved contemporary dance and with her transfer request in she felt free. She let her body show her feelings as she twisted and turned to the beat. She went into a twist with her eyes closed, relishing the feel of the air on her face when she suddenly collided with an unforgiving surface.

She fell hard twisting her wrist on the impact. Her breathing was labored and she used her good hand and quickly brushed her hair out of her face so she could identify what she'd hit. She saw Spock standing stiff and holding a towel. She quickly stood.

"Computer, pause music."

She walked over to the benches and grabbed a different towel in deference to Spock. She brought her breathing under control and wiped her face and neck before turning to him.

"Yes, Commander?"

"There is a transmission coming in now and your presence is required."

Her transfer must be getting approved. She smiled and nodded.

"I'll be there in about 15 minutes. I need to get cleaned up."

Spock's body stiffened.

"I believe you are needed now."

She huffed and turned to him.

"Fine. I just hope they don't mind how I look."

She walked calmly out, letting the air cool her and she felt Spock following.

"Your form was impressive."

"Thanks. I love using dance as a workout. It's freeing to me."

They arrived at the Captain's ready room and Charlotte could see a number of people. It made her self-conscious of how she must look. She was wearing a thin tank top and very short shorts covered by a short flowing skirt and ballet flats. Her hair was everywhere. Her ponytail held the majority of it but curls of her hair had fallen loose during her workout and she knew it was frizzy. Her face felt hot in embarrassment.

She had expected to just be talking with Starfleet Medical not seeing anyone. Spock moved in behind her and the door slid shut. She tried to smooth her hair but had little success.

Captain Kirk stepped forward, his expression uncertain but he was giving her a small smile. A polite greeting more than a welcome.

"Sir, I was not expecting to be seeing anyone. I'm sorry for my appearance."

"Don't worry about it ensign. Allow me to introduce Ambassador Sarek and Healer Suvel. They wish to be here for the transmission we are receiving from New Vulcan and Earth."

Both Vulcans nodded polite greeting and Charlotte fidgeted under their scrutiny. The younger of the two, Sarek, was watching her with interest. She turned her back on them as the screen came to life. It was split down the middle with one half showing the Starfleet emblem and the other side showing the IDIC of vulcan high command. On Starfleet's side was Admiral Brewster and on the other side, causing Charlotte to do a double take, was T'Pau. Charlotte didn't know a lot about Vulcan but she knew that T'Pau was one of the main leaders on Vulcan.

Admiral Brewster started first, his baritone voice filling the silent room.

"Captain Kirk, I received a transfer request from one of your personnel yesterday. From an Ensign Charlotte Jones. Is she here?"

She slowly stepped forward, her mouth going dry.

"There she is. I'm sorry to say that it has been denied. As you know, we have been struggling to fill medical positions with qualified personnel after the attack by Nero. You do have the option of transferring to New Vulcan if you do not wish to remain on the Enterprise. They are currently in need of staff. It's your decision."

She felt the bottom of her stomach drop. Her hands were shaking as she heard it.

"Sir? I was hoping to be able to complete my studies on Earth. I've been finding it difficult in my current environment."

Brewster frowned and continued.

"I have spoken with your academic advisors. They've determined that it may be advisable to continue your education in a year's time. This way things can settle and you would be able to devote more time to your education."

She started to stutter and she couldn't breath.

"Then I respectfully resign, sir."

The admiral's expression hardened.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible ensign. As you know, you signed a contract when you joined Starfleet. For five years. You're only 6 months into it. If you attempt to leave without being discharged it would be considered an act of treason."

She just stared straight ahead. Her mind was blank and then the other shoe dropped. T'Pau started to talk. Her voice was calm and slow. Charlotte almost found it soothing and it helped her to calm down, until she heard the words.

"Charlotte Jones, your betrothal to Spock has been entered into the archives without protest. You are now a citizen of Vulcan, a member of the House of Surak, husband of S'chn T'gai Spock. We welcome thee into our family. Live long and prosper Charlotte Jones."

Charlotte didn't even have a chance to reply before T'Pau cut her connection. The room was silent save for her breathing which was getting more panicked.

"No." She whispered.

Admiral Brewster was still there. His expression was one of happiness.

"I'd say congratulations are in order. Congratulations Ensign, Commander."

She felt dizziness threatening her and she sat on he floor and Spock quickly came up behind her and placed his hands on her. She couldn't bring herself to move and she felt calming thoughts being sent to her. She felt her breathing slow and she looked up to see Admiral Brewster looking at her with curiosity and Captain Kirk was watching them both with surprise written all over him.

"Captain, now that Miss Jones has collected herself, I'd like to remind you of personnel code 327 section a. In the event of marriage or pregnancy, you are now officially recognized as a family unit. I'm going by the book here. You are both required to move to the family quarters of the ship."

Spock finally broke the silence.

"Sir, is this necessary?"

Brewster turned to Spock in surprise.

"Yes, commander."

It was at this point Charlotte put her face in her hands. She wanted to disappear but she knew she wouldn't be that fortunate.

"I'll leave you then. Congratulations again. Brewster out."

Sarek stepped forward.

"Captain, Spock, if you would not mind, I believe healer Suvel may be able to assist Miss Jones and I would like a private word with her."

Charlotte felt them leave and she didn't move. She couldn't. Sarek knelt in front of her and waited. It was ten minutes before she could lift her head. Her head was pounding with the stress of the recent conversation.

"Miss Jones. I am sorry for you being in this situation."

She gritted her teeth at his words.

"You did this." She hissed.

Sarek inclined his head in affirmation. Her hands balled into fists so tight she started to feel her nails cutting into her palms, the slick feel of blood on her fingers and she didn't care.

"Yes. Miss Jones, you are injuring yourself."

She unballed fists and took a slow steadying breath.

"Did Spock have anything to do with this."

Sarek shook his head slowly. For some reason, this made Charlotte feel better about it.

"Though my son was the reason for my interference, he played no part in orchestrating this."

She looked into his face and saw concern in his eyes. He was watching her and he seemed to be worried about her. This threw her for a loop. Why would he even care about one stupid girl?

"Why?"

Sarek sat in a meditative pose and put his chin on his fingers and leaned forward. Charlotte felt hypnotized by his eyes. They were looking at her with an intensity she'd rarely felt.

"Because I care for my son and his bonded's welfare. Even when they are content to throw a future away that could be great, or risk their lives because of stubbornness. What you are doing, Charlotte, is damaging my son and putting yourself and the crew in danger."

She was confused by what he was saying.

"Wait, what?"

Sarek closed his eyes for a moment, searching for words and slowly continued.

"In denying the bond that he placed between you it has caused it to start to fracture. In my son's case, it is causing instability in him. He is beginning to struggle to control himself and he will start to become more possessive and dangerous with you. He may start to attack crew members he sees as rival males that are near you. I believe that you value the safety of your co-workers? And in you, you will be feeling headaches, irritation, fatigue but insomnia. I can see from your attire that you have been attempting to work through this on your own."

She shifted guiltily and looked away. She hadn't realized she was hurting Spock this bad. He had not told her.

"He didn't tell me."

"That is because he was trying to respect your wishes in providing you with what you wanted. If you were to have left, the bond would fracture and cause damage to both of you, killing him as effectively as pon far would have on that planet and taking you out as well. My wife did not respond well either."

She looked up and saw sorrow fill Sarek's eyes as he talked about his wife. She knew what he was telling her was deeply personal. She knew, somehow, that Spock didn't even know this.

"She tried to leave and it almost killed me. When she realized what she had done she was devastated. She came back and it took a long time for us to heal. I believe she felt incredible guilt for her actions though she was not to blame for her instinctual fear. I do not wish for you to go through what she did. I ask you to give my son a chance."

"Why me?" She whispered.

"My son had sensed the unique compatibility between you before this happened. He had asked me about it. I advised him to wait, if possible so that he would have time to develop a natural relationship but circumstances beyond either of your control forced it to happen sooner. I do see why he would have chosen you. I sense your intelligence and can see why he would find you attractive. You remind me of his mother. She had a kind heart and was bright for her age. I found her to be a perfect match."

Charlotte smiled a little. She could feel the warmth in his words even though the tone was neutral. He gave an almost smile back and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you just say that you like me?"

Her smile grew as his eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"I believe that I was attempting to explain that I find you to be an excellent choice by my son. I believe that you will be an excellent daughter. I welcome you into our family."

Charlotte stood and Sarek followed suit. Her anger had gone and she felt calm. She was still irritated at being strong armed but she understood his reasons. It was underhanded and devious but would she have done any less if it was someone she loved?

"I can't promise that we'll fall in love and live happily ever after but I will do what I can to help keep him stable."

The corner of Sarek's lips twitched in slight amusement and Charlotte laughed.

"That is all I can ask. I believe that acknowledging the bond and spending time together will be enough to stabilize both of you."

Sarek looked toward Suvel who nodded an ancient head. Charlotte stood to leave and Sarek stopped her before she reached the door causing her to turn.

"Live long and prosper my daughter."

Though she twitched with slight irritation at the title she raised her hand in a respectful imitation of his gesture.

"Live long and prosper, Ambassador, Healer."

She quickly turned on her heel and left.

Spock followed Captain Kirk out of the conference room. He was uneasy about leaving his mate with his father in the state she was in. He had not anticipated the lengths his father would go to in ensuring their bond would survive. While the thought of being with her was pleasant he was not sure how he would be received since the situation had been forced upon her.

Kirk led him to the turbolift and waited for the doors to close before speaking. His stance was stiff and his face was almost expressionless.

"Spock, you want to clue me in here? I had noticed tension between you and ensign Jones but I didn't know this had happened. When did you get married? I didn't even know you were together."

Spock sighed as they reached his quarters. He tried to gain access but found it barred from him. The admiral must have contacted the quartermaster. Jim had to type in his override code for them to get in. Once they were inside he turned to the captain.

"I was incapacitated due to a condition known as pon far. It is a mating drive that Vulcan males enter every seven years where they must take a mate or die from the fever it causes. It happened during our away mission."

Kirk looked unsure but waited for him to continue.

"Miss Jones asked if she could help and I informed her of the situation. She was compatible and we became bonded, in body and mind. According to Vulcan law, she is now my wife. We have a permanent marriage bond."

Kirk shook his head, running his hand through his hair. He blew a breath out of mouth before talking again.

"She didn't look too happy about it."

"I believe she wasn't. She has been finding it difficult to adjust to her new role as my wife."

Kirk let a chuckle out and walked around the room.

"And I thought I had woman problems. What was the deal with Admiral Brewster and Lady T'Pau? How did they know to steamroll her plans?"

Spock had to think before he could reply adequately.

"I believe my father interfered on my behalf to attempt to assist Charlotte in her acceptance of the situation. I did not know of this."

"I'll bet you didn't. I don't think I've ever seen an expression quite like that on a Vulcan."

Kirk started to laugh at the memory of it and Spock looked at him in faint surprise at the outburst.

"I fail to see what is do humorous about the situation."

"Spock, I'm sorry. It's not really funny but it is in a way. I've just never seen a one night stand become a topic of galactic interest."

"Indeed."


	9. Chapter 9

**Ah, yet more realizations. We learn why Miss Jones is so upset at the marriage. I hope it's ok so far. Reviews keep me inspired as do any follows. I love it when I get advice from people too. Thank you!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Nine

Charlotte walked out of the ready room and took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. She brought a hand up to brush her hair out of her face and felt a wetness. She looked down and realized her hands were bleeding from when she had clenched them earlier. There were small crescent cuts on both palms and her left wrist had begun to swell from her fall earlier.

"Dammit."

She slowly made her way to the medical bay, oblivious to the whispers following her from the bridge crew.

On entering sickbay she peeked around the corner looking for her friend, Chapel. She rolled her eyes when she couldn't find her and made her way to the medical locker. She finally found the tools she needed when they slipped out of her blood slicked hands.

"Dammit!"

She looked up in frustration and bent down to collect her fallen instruments.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The deep grumble startled her causing her to lose her balance. She landed on her bad wrist and felt a pop as it gave out.

"Charlotte! What happened?"

She rolled over holing her hand carefully and gave McCoy an exasperated look as he bent down to see where she was hurt. He was scowling with irritation as he pulled her up and to a biobed. She let him but didn't say anything as he set to work repairing her hands and popping her wrist back into it's correct location. He quickly wrapped it and gave her a shot for the swelling. She just stared ahead thinking about her situation.

She was well and truly stuck. Any way she looked at it, her and Spock were connected intrinsically. They'd even taken care of her schooling. A surge of irritation shot through her at that thought but it quickly left her. She'd been struggling to complete the assignments anyway because of staff being so limited since the Narada incident. She'd known she was going to have to put it off for a while because of her time being consumed with her duties but it being decided for her was what made her mad.

"Are you listening?"

She shook her head and quickly realized she'd zoned off.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

He shook his head and grumbled before restating his questions.

"What happened to you?"

She scrunched her face and thought for a minute before replying.

"You startled me and I fell, dislocating my wrist."

McCoy started to turn a brilliant shade of crimson. She always knew how to push his buttons but rarely did. She didn't really want to talk anyway.

"Stop deflecting. You know what I'm talking about. Your "husband" will be down here soon to collect your file."

Her head flew up at that.

"He's not my husband. And why would he have access to my file?"

She hissed at him. He put his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Haven't you ever wondered why there are no older female vulcans serving on ships or in space without their husbands? Vulcan law is different on rights of a married female. Females are treasured, as are children, and they are seen as a privilege and as such the male has the rights and responsibilities to care for his mate. They believe that the male should have access to all information on their mate's health and he has the right to choose what treatments she does or doesn't receive and he also has the right to interfere with her career if it is deemed too dangerous."

Charlotte's eyes flew to the doctor's in horror. His eyes just looked sorry. Her breathing starting coming in small bursts as she fought crying. McCoy pulled her into a hug and she wrapped her arms around him. She closed her eyes in the warm embrace. It was like a father hugging his daughter and she, for a moment, forgot her troubles. He stroked her hair and told mumbled nonsense and she was finally calm enough to pull herself out.

"Why? I thought federation law superseded planetary law? I thought my rights as a Terran were first."

The doctor shifted his stance and pulled out a PADD handing it to her.

"I thought so too. But it's kind of like Earth, you know, state law supersedes federal law. For example where one thing might be illegal in the entire country it might not be in certain states. Healer Suvel gave me the paperwork on it. I'm just forwarding it to you. Your listing has changed. It used to be federation, then Terran citizenship. Now it's Vulcan, federation, then Terran citizen. I thought you'd want to know."

She was reading the PADD frantically. Her heart speeding up and mouth going dry the further she read. It was like she was listed as property to the House of Surak. No wonder Uhura had shied away. McCoy moved close again and put a hand on her back. It helped her to feel a little better. At this point she felt nothing.

"Why did you marry him?"

Charlotte groaned and lifted her eyes from the PADD.

"I didn't know. I thought it was a one night thing. I'd never heard of pon far. I didn't realize it'd mean forever. He wasn't exactly forthcoming about that part."

McCoy grumbled, his hand tightening on her shoulder painfully.

"I should have never sent you on an away mission with him."

She let forth an hysterical laugh.

"If it was Kirk, I'd expect him to want to...you know, but Spock? Dr. McCoy, you know as well as I do that this is beyond weird. Spock didn't even know that we were going to do this. He was hoping he could hold out until a healer would arrive to help him. I don't blame him for his cursed biology but I do blame him for withholding facts that would have influenced my decision."

"Ashayem, you will remove yourself from his touch and tell me what has happened. I do not wish to hurt him but if he continues to touch you, my wife, I will."

She jumped like a shot of electricity had been sent through her. The possessiveness of the statement rang in her head. Spock was at the door to the medbay and he looked angry. His hands were balled and Charlotte could swear she heard a growl.

She quickly extricated herself, unsure of what to do. McCoy knew better than to irritate an emotionally compromised Vulcan. Spock moved quickly and stood in between her and Leonard.

"What happened?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes but answered.

"Remember when I bumped into you. I had hurt my wrist so I was getting it tended to."

Spock's face was a mask but she could see the heat in his eyes. He needed to get stable again. She'd promised Sarek she would help him become stable but she'd not promised she'd love him.

Spock had sensed his mate had been in pain and he had sought her out, only to find her in the arms of another man. Healer Suvel had given the doctor the laws regarding mates. He should have known better. This would never have happened on Vulcan.

"I do not believe this display is part of the necessary treatment for her injuries."

The word display was uttered with sarcasm causing Charlotte to lift her eyebrows in surprise. The doctor stepped closer to them, bouncing on his feet.

"Actually, it is. You see, we humans are emotional beings and touch helps us when we are upset or hurt."

"If that is how you feel, then I request Dr. M'Benga become her primary physician. He spent his internship on Vulcan and understands the correct treatment of a Vulcan mate."

McCoy stiffened and opened his mouth to say something but Spock headed him off.

"I have that right." The vulcan spat.

He turned on the other male and faced his t'hy'la. He noticed her face was red and he could sense fear. He took her arm gently and led her from the medical bay without another word. She tried to turn back to the doctor but he gave her arm a slight twitch to signal that it was not advisable and she followed.

"Our belongings will be moved into our shared quarters soon. I took the advantage of your meeting with my father to move some of your belongings. I have left the choice of where to put them up to you."

"How kind of you." She stated. The statement was dripping in sarcasm.

Spock could sense her hostility but he found it merely entertaining than a cause for concern. He kept his hand firmly around her arm and felt himself growing calm. He had not been able to have the contact he needed with her in days. She had been avoiding him and he had allowed it to happen. He had been taking into account her rights as a Terran, not his Vulcan rights as she was now legally recognized as his wife.

They turned the corner and Spock showed her the entry code to their new home. It was interesting. There was a decent sized living room, to the left, a dining area complete with table for four and to the right, there were two bedrooms on either side of a bathroom. It was reminiscent of an apartment he had rented when his parents had visited him on earth. His mother had requested it, stating that she didn't want to be a tourist. She had wanted to see San Francisco properly and not from the embassy accommodations she had been assigned to. She had enjoyed her time there.

He found the furnishings of their quarters adequate. Upon entering, he reluctantly released Charlotte's arm. The loss of contact was unwelcome but necessary so that she could move around freely. He watched her look around and nod.

"Alright. Not as bad as I thought it would be. I'll take this room."

She indicated the far room with a thumb and moved to pick up a box of her possessions. He had anticipated this but had been almost hoping he would be wrong. He moved to help her and she stopped.

"I can handle a box. I might be living with you because of this but I'm not gonna do much else. I told your father I would respect and acknowledge this bond thing and stabilize us but after a year...I'll be moving on. I know that you didn't mean for this to happen. Also, I'm not a thing to be owned. McCoy showed me the laws."

Tears were splashing down her face and Spock moved forward to carefully wipe them away. Her eyes were beautiful. They were like clear pools of blue water. He moved forward and stopped her from leaving. He needed to show her.

"Charlotte, if you are truly going to acknowledge our bond then I ask for you to meld with me. I wish to show you how I feel. We need to do this to assist in stabilizing our connection. To heal the fractures from your attempts to block it."

She moved to sit on the couch and he followed her. He noted her resistance to the idea and brushed it aside. He was pleased to have her near him but she was placing mental blocks between them.

"Why do you not allow this, ashayem?"

She shook her head and pulled a PADD out that she had been holding.

"Spock, why did you not choose Uhura? She loved you."

She leaned toward him but her tone was far from inviting. He moved closer and took her hand, grateful she did not pull away.

"She was not compatible like you. Our minds could connected with little effort."

A half truth.

"The connection works both ways. I know you're not telling me everything."

She snapped and pulled her hand from his grasp. Her back became straighter as she waited for a full answer.

"I am pleased you tested our connection to determine this. You are correct. Uhura had also researched the laws we hold sacred in our society and found them to be...limiting. She chose to end our affiliation shortly thereafter."

The pain of it still hurt him. She had been a fascinating woman. He still cared for her deeply but no longer in a romantic way.

"Why is it that these laws exist? For such an advanced society it's archaic. And also, unusual since the federation would have not allowed this normally. We respect other cultures but if we were to accept every law from every planet joined it'd be utter chaos."

He had to appreciate the logic behind her statement. It was true. She stood, facing away from him and was looking around their quarters, almost like a caged animal.

"These laws were created for a mate's protection. In times before we embraced logic if an unbonded male found a female that was not being cared for he had the right to challenge her mate to try to claim her."

She turned to face Spock.

"Are you serious? Are these even necessary anymore?"

Spock looked at her and her face fell as he conveyed how serious he was.

"Especially now. New Vulcan is struggling. They may seem stable but they are far from it. As to why the Federation is upholding these ancient laws, I believe they had not anticipated a situation such as ours. I am currently the only Vulcan in Starfleet. At this point, I do not believe they will change these laws to show respect for our culture as they only affect us."

She blew out a whistle in surprise. She continued walking around the room thinking. Spock ached to hold her, to help her realize her new place in his life.

"I think it'll be changing though. I mean, you know, since vulcans may have to venture out in order to survive."

She perched next to him and ran a hand through her unruly hair. He did not understand why she would do this as it only caused it to dislodge from it's tie more. It must be a nervous habit.

"Look, I know you think you have these feelings for me but you don't know me. It's just instinct. I'd also like to explain a few ground rules."

His eyebrow lifted as his curiosity took control. This girl was setting rules for their life together. It was intriguing.

"Don't look at me like that!"

Spock straightened his face but his lips twitched in amusement.

"Is this one of your "ground rules" that you are speaking of?"

She threw her hands up in frustration and laughed. Her eyes danced with the action.

"You are funny."

She patted his hand and he moved his other hand to cover hers. She smiled at the gesture before continuing.

"Look, I just am not comfortable with mind melds and you having access to my thoughts. I'm not a telepath so I can't talk back. I'd rather use comms or just talk normally. I also like my privacy. Understand?"

Spock patted her hand.

"In bonding with me you have gained this ability and should be able to communicate easily. If you exercise this gift then you will be able to contact me over great distances. You also forget, I am a private individual as well. I respect your wishes but I wish to stabilize us and also, this will enable us to know each other at a deeper level. I only wish to make you happy."

He knew Charlotte felt the intentions behind his speech. She leaned back in her seat and gave him reluctant permission. Spock's heart rate increased in anticipation and as he brought his hands to her meld points, he noticed they were shaking. Her body jerked once the meld was initiated and he found himself in her mind.

It was a field of flowers with a young blond girl spinning and laughing. He knew this was Charlotte and he slowly walked up to the girl. As he came closer her form changed to that of the woman he knew. She stood before him in a long white dress that clung to her like a second skin. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and wild. She gently took his hand and he smiled.

"This is my sanctuary. I used to play here with my sister. It's where I am free."

"I understand. I will not spoil this for you. Why do you not accept me?"

The woman bit her lip before lifting a blood red flower and showing it to him. Immediately, they were plunged into a memory and Spock was helpless to watch.

He saw Charlotte as a younger woman being chased, her clothes torn and bloody by a large man. His face full of fury. He caught her and flipped her around to face him. She started kicking and hitting him and he held her with one arm. His large body effectively pinning her. He stopped to brush dirty brown hair out of his face and he snarled as he slapped her, repeatedly.

"You stupid woman! You are my wife and you will listen to me! You're worthless. You just don't listen."

He punctuated every word with a slap eventually becoming punches until she was unconscious. Spock could feel his body shaking in barely controlled anger as the memory faded and Charlotte and the meadow reappeared. He could still feel her fear and pain as if it was his own.

"Who was that animal?" He hissed.

Charlotte's eyes were wide with unshed tears.

"That was Michael Jacobs. My first husband. He...hurt me. I never wanted to marry again after that. He was a little like how you have been acting lately, possessive, threatening. That's why I don't want to accept you."

He reached out and held her arms.

"I would never harm you. I cherish thee, my adun'a, my ashayem. I am possessive because I care for you. I do not wish for you to be taken from me. It is in my nature to protect you, never to harm you or allow you to be harmed."

She sniffed as tears began to fall. He knew she was still comparing him to the animal so he showed her what he saw. He closed his eyes and showed him watching her in the mess hall during the dinner she had started with Christine. The way the light sparkled off her smooth hair and how her laugh sounded musical. The way his heart clenched as she looked at photos of an infant, cooing at the sight.

He then moved to when he had seen her in the lake. How he watched her gliding in the water. How she had moved with such grace and how her movements reminded him of his mother when she would dance when she thought no-one was looking.

He showed her his feelings when she had accepted his marriage proposal. The joy and gratitude it had brought was overwhelming for him. The touch of her skin, so soft it was like silk...

He pulled back, careful to control himself. He had felt arousal and was sure that she would not welcome it. They were once more in the field and Charlotte stood smiling once again.

"Thank you for sharing that Spock."

"And I thank you for sharing with me."

The images faded as he ended the meld. Charlotte was wiping her eyes and looked tired. Spock also felt fatigued. He felt that he would finally be able to rest. He realized their connection was strengthening after the recent contact. He stood to assist Charlotte in moving her things into her room only to realize she had fallen asleep. Her insomnia must be decreasing with the stability being created.

He quickly pulled off her shoes and carried her to the room she had indicated would be hers and covered her up. As she lay there a feeling of contentment came over him seeing his mate in such peace. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving to rest in the remaining room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh my! It's amazing to hear from you guys! I love you! Thank you! It makes me love writing! Too many exclamation points? I'm just excited from hearing from you guys. By the way, any ideas or anything you want to see happen, feel free to comment or PM me. Believe me when I say, I've heard it all so don't be shy. Maybe a character you want to see more of or a situation that could be trouble (or rather trouble for the characters but most likely fun for me to write) feel free to tell me. I won't judge. Promise. I'm just a geeky fan girl. I write these things for fun and I want them to be fun for you, as the reader. Hugs to you all!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Ten

Charlotte rolled over in bed hearing voices. Her eyes flew open, unsure of where she was. She looked around and saw that she was alone but deep voices were coming from the next room. She figured she must be in her new room because it was unfamiliar and someone was in her living room. She got up and quietly padded across the room and stopped when she heard Sarek's and Spock's voices. Though she highly disapproved of eavesdropping, her beliefs changed when she heard her name. She quickly placed an ear to the wall and struggled to make out what was being said.

_Sarek: How are things progressing with your mate?_

_Spock: I do not believe there are any problems. She allowed a meld to assist in stabilizing our connection._

_Sarek: I have observed she is in a separate room from you. Why is this?_

_Spock: I do not wish to pressure her._

_Sarek: That is wise, my son._

A pause...Charlotte feels a brush against her. Almost gentle but inquisitive and it is quickly gone.

_Spock: I do not believe our conversation is private any longer._

_Sarek: Indeed._

Charlotte gave up pretending to not hearing them and slowly steps out, red faced and feeling a little embarrassed. Though she wasn't really sure if it was due to the act of listening in on Spock's conversation or being found out. She suspected the latter.

"Good morning Ambassador, Spock."

She greets the two men with a stiff nod. They both looked faintly amused at her impromptu greeting. Sarek stood, looking imposing in long brown robes but his eyes sparkled when he saw her and Charlotte could see a faint upturn on his lips while Spock was dressed for his shift in his science blues and upon seeing her he looked her up and down assessing her state. Seeing that she was alright he turned to them.

"I am sorry that you have to leave so soon, father."

"It is for the best. I have a lot of work still left for the colony. I will be transported for the continuation of my journey by a Vulcan Science Academy ship this afternoon."

Charlotte frowned. She decided to speak up.

"If I may ask, sir, why not use your transport?"

Sarek turned to her.

"I leave it to you and my son. Think of it as a wedding gift."

Charlotte twitched at the mention of wedding, feeling a little irritation but didn't say anything. Sarek saw it though and gave a slight frown. He looked to his son.

"I will see you when I am ready to depart, my son."

Spock nodded at the obvious dismissal and turned to leave. As he reached the door he looked back at Charlotte.

_"I will see you for dinner, adun'a."_

And he left. Charlotte scowled at his back for a minute before remembering she still had someone in the room. Sarek moved closer to her and took a seat on the couch. She moved to the replicator and ordered a coffee before sitting in the chair opposite him.

"You truly are like my Amanda. She used to do the same thing when I had meetings. She also would become irritated when I spoke with her telepathically. It was a long time before she stopped pulling a face."

He was watching Charlotte for a reaction and she knew it. She had her head down and was looking at her feet. She didn't really know hat to feel anymore.

"Spock told me of your time last night. He seems more like himself and I am pleased that you have been able to rest. I sense that you may need it soon."

Her head flew up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped.

Sarek raised an eyebrow at the outburst of emotion and put his hands up.

"I know that you will be returning to your duties soon."

Charlotte put a hand to her head in relief. Sarek was looking at her closely and she peeked between her fingers.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, my daughter."

Irritation flitted through and she rolled her eyes. Though she knew she was being disrespectful it still irked her when she was addressed as these things.

"Please don't call me that, Ambassador. I am not your son's wife nor am I your daughter in law."

He moved close to her, within her personal space and she had to lean back. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. His eyes were kind and caring and Charlotte couldn't see any ill will but the contact made her a little uncomfortable. She knew vulcans never touched people unless they were family or had no choice.

"Then what would you call yourself? I see you as my daughter and my son sees you as his wife. I welcome you into our clan. I want you to address me as your father. You are accepting your situation as well as can be expected but you must accept it."

His hands tightened on her shoulders painfully causing her to wince slightly. His tone grew a little colder.

"I accept you. I have accepted you from the beginning and I have made it so that you have been welcomed in our culture. My wife did not have that same luxury. I sense things will be changing for you soon and you may have to move forward faster than you may wish. I only wish that I could be here with you and my son."

He released her quickly and Charlotte had to bring a hand up to rub where he had gripped her. She looked up at him frowning. She wasn't sure if she'd just received an ultimatum or threat but Sarek's voice had made sure that she understood his meaning. He wasn't messing around. She knew he wanted to protect his son and help her with this adjustment but she couldn't help feeling like he knew something she didn't.

"Live long and prosper, daughter."

"Live long and prosper."

She let her eyes follow him as he left wondering just what it was that he knew.

She spent the next week slowly adjusting to the idea of Spock staying with her. It wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be. He was considerate of her privacy, especially in the bathroom but she had had to have a lock installed after he had walked in on her in the shower. He had apologized and left but not before giving her one last lingering look as she tried to protect her modesty with nothing more than her hands. She still cringed in embarrassment and couldn't help but wonder if he had a photographic memory.

It had been about two weeks after their away mission and not much was happening as they were just mapping star charts. Charlotte was enjoying the relative peace aboard. Her alarms started going off and she rolled over to hit them when it hit. Her stomach was rolling and she felt it at the back of her throat. She had to run to make it to the bathroom in time before last night's dinner came up.

She felt like somebody was stomping on her head and her body was chilled from the sudden change. She felt like hell. She gripped the porcelain base of the toilet and swallowed trying to stop it happening again. She could feel her mouth watering before she another wave of nausea hit her causing her to start her heaving again. After rinsing her mouth she slumped to the floor eventually laying on the cold tile. It felt soothing and she didn't move until she heard Spock on the other side of the door.

"Charlotte? Are you alright? I heard you rush in."

She groaned in annoyance at being disturbed. She really didn't want to move. It was comfortable here.

"If you do not respond I will be forced to come in. I am concerned for your wellbeing."

She could feel his worry and it was sweet but she didn't want to move or talk. She was scared to open her mouth again but she heard the beeping of the keypad outside the door and she quickly shoved herself up.

"I'm fine, Spock. I just have the stomach flu. Please don't come in. I don't want you to get sick too."

The beeping didn't stop and he quickly walked in. He looked perfectly calm but she could feel what he was feeling under his Vulcan facade. He looked at her face, covered in a sheen of sweat, her hair had become damp and curly around her temples and her eyes looked overly bright in the mirror. Spock could see how pale her coloring was and there were dark circles under eyes. It was at this point, Charlotte had started to tremble slightly.

"You will go to sickbay and confirm your suspicions." He stated.

"Spock, there's nothing to be done. It just needs to clear my system and run it's course."

He looked skeptical but If she wished to suffer, then that was her choice. She knew she'd be fine by tomorrow. Of all the things on her list of sicknesses, vomiting was her most hated. Coughing came a close second. She allowed Spock to lead her back to her room where he reluctantly left her to rest.

The next day came and went and Charlotte had not even bee able to keep sips of water down. She knew she was getting dehydrated and she could tell she was testing Spock's patience with her stubbornness but she hated being poked at in sickbay. She was the ultimate hypocrit and she knew it. If it was anyone else who was like this she would have dragged them to sickbay kicking and screaming.

It wasn't until the third day that she realized how weak she had become. Her abdomen hurt from repeatedly straining the muscles throwing up. At this point it was dry heaving. She heard a chiming at her door and couldn't bring herself to answer. She just rolled away from the noise and closed her eyes.

"Charlotte, Spock sent me to check on you. He's starting to get a little crazy about it."

She buried her face in her pillows at Dr. McCoy's gruff intrusion. She could hear the medical tricorder whirring above her and she batted it away.

"Dammit Charlotte! You're severely dehydrated and if you don't stop moving I can't get a clear reading."

She opened one eye to glare at him. Though he was her friend, she just wanted to sleep.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired."

She heard McCoy let a deep breath out in frustration and then he hit her comm.

"McCoy to sickbay. Could you bring a wheelchair to Ensign Jone's quarters for transport, please."

She pulled herself into a sitting position and tried to ignore the spinning of the room around her as she focused on McCoy who was glaring at her. His eyes were narrowed and there were lines of worry around his mouth.

"Isn't that overkill. I just need an antiemetic."

"Charlotte, I think you're too stubborn for your own good and no, it's not overkill. Your blood pressure is way too low and you're severely dehydrated. Since you don't have a fever I need to see what's causing this. You're a nurse, you should know better than to have let it get to this stage."

She threw off her blankets and sat herself up in irritation.

"I'm fine. I've told the Commander and now I'm telling you."

He sat on the edge of her bed and put a hand on her back. He gave her a small smile as he started to rub circles on her back and she leaned into his touch. It felt good on her sore muscles.

"Look, I just want to check you out. I haven't seen you for 3 days. You been so distant lately and it worries me. Chris hasn't hardly seen you since your transfer was denied. We're all worried about you."

"Yeah. I know. I'm sorry. I've just had a lot going on since the Vulcan invasion."

McCoy laughed and gave her a hug. It felt good. She had missed hanging out with him.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry about what happened."

She shrugged. Even that movement made her muscles ache.

"It's not that bad. He's a good guy but this was really not what I had planned for my life."

It was at that point that an orderly came with a wheelchair for her and Charlotte cringed. She looked at McCoy pleadingly, begging him with her eyes to let her have at least a modicum of dignity. He gave her an impatient frown.

"If you'd have come down yesterday I wouldn't have had to resort to such drastic measures. I'm sorry."

He helped her into the chair and wrapped her in the blanket the crewman had been thoughtful enough to bring. She would never admit it to anyone but she was grateful she didn't have to walk all the way to he medbay but it was still embarrassing. The halls were tilting as they moved and she had to resort to putting her face in her hands.

"Charlotte? What happened?"

Chris rushed over and helped lay her on a biobed. She squinted at the bright lights above her and she could feel the urge to throw up again. Fortunately, Chris shoved a basin in her hands but it was pointless at this stage. There was nothing left to come up.

"I've just got a stubborn bug. It's not going away."

Her friend gently pushed her back onto the bed and initiated a full scan. Though her haze she saw Christine's eyes widen.

"Chris? What's wrong with me?"

She started to panic and tried to turn to see the results but she was pushed back down.

"Doctor?"

McCoy came back carrying bags of fluids and handed them to Chapel who quickly set up a line. His mouth fell open as he looked over the results and she really started to guest scared.

"What's wrong with me? Leonard?"

She pleaded and he absently gave her a quick shot. She started to feel less nauseous but her heart was still beating a mile a minute while she waited for him to answer her.

He slowly turned to her and his expression was blank.

"Charlotte, did you receive your birth control shot last month?"

"Yeah, why?"

He took a deep breath before answering her.

"Well, you're pregnant. It looks like more than one with this amount of hormones in your system."

She stopped listening. She couldn't hear or move. There was a rushing sound in her ears as she thought about the impossibility of her situation. Her breathing started to speed up. She couldn't breathe. It felt like she was being squeezed. She saw Dr. McCoy's mouth moving and Christine waving a hand in front of her but she just stared straight ahead and at this point was hyperventilating.

Hands were on her shoulders and she started struggling and pushing them away. She couldn't stop shaking her head. It's not possible. It can't be. She felt a stinging in her neck and the world went back.

Commander Spock was on the bridge recording the gravimetric distortions from a white dwarf when he felt the panic grip him. He dropped his PADD and stylus at the onslaught of the emotions.

"Captain, I believe my attention is required in sickbay. I must leave."

Jim nodded to him and he struggled to stay calm and suppress his concern at what was happening. He quickly made his way to sickbay and saw Charlotte on a biobed unconscious, her hair spilling over the side, with an IV attached to her arm providing nutrients and fluids. Dr. McCoy hovering near her scanning and administering medication.

Coming closer he saw how pale she was. Her face matched the doctor's lab coat and under the bright lights of the medical bay he noticed that her cheeks were sunken in. They looked reminiscent of when they had returned from Zeti-6.

"Doctor? What is wrong with my wife?"

McCoy jumped at the closeness of the Vulcan. He had not been anticipating Spock showing up so quickly. He moved closer to Charlotte's still form and picked up her hand to hold. McCoy shifted his stance and looked around, uncomfortable with the situation.

"Look, Spock, doctor-patient confidentiality protects what I've found upon examination."

Spock placed her hand on her stomach before turning to McCoy and drawing himself to his full height.

"Doctor, I consider you a trusted colleague but I have the right to know what is making Charlotte ill. Under Vulcan law, I have access to my wife's medical records. If you do not tell me I will ask Dr. M'Benga."

McCoy looked at Charlotte and sighed, handing Spock the file. He quickly grabbed it and read, his eyes a blur before he reached the diagnosis and stopped. He had to read it twice more before he allowed himself to accept that he was going to be a father. He felt a surge of pride knowing that he had a child on the way, no two...

He frowned reading the ultrasound results. There has not been a multiple pregnancy with a Vulcan in hundreds of years. He looked at Charlotte and felt joy that she was giving him this gift. The ultrasound showed two healthy embryos and he finally understood why she had been so ill. He picked up her hand and waited for her to wake.

"Doctor, if it was a simple pregnancy, why has she lost consciousness?" He asked.

Leonard moved to Charlotte's other side and administered a copper supplement to her.

"She didn't respond too well to the news. She was panicked and started to have a full blown panic attack. I don't know how this happened when she was on birth control."

M'Benga came around the corner holding a data tape.

"I think I know."

"How?"

M'Benga put the information in the computer and pulled it up so that they could see.

"I was given this by Healer Suvel to help with any medical issues that may come up. If you look here it shows that when a Vulcan male is in the throws of pon far his hormone levels overwhelm his mate's hypothalamus causing an increase in gonadotropin-releasing hormone which in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to produce the luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormone forcing the ovaries to ovulate and release eggs. It caused her birth control shot to become null and void with the onslaught of hormones."

Charlotte started shifting, moving restlessly and McCoy took her other hand.

"Hey kiddo, you ok?"

She opened her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm pregnant? That's what Sarek had to have been talking about."

She started to push herself up but Dr. McCoy gently pressed her back down.

"You need to rest for a while longer. You can go back to your quarters in a couple of hours, ok?"

She started to protest but quickly changed her mind seeing the three men looking back at her. All of them wore no-nonsense looks and Spock was pleased to see her settle herself in for the wait. Spock waited until the doctors had left before turning to Charlotte. She was looking off in the distance and biting her lip.

"What troubles you?"

She closed her eyes for a moment to collect herself before turning to face him.

"I can't do this. I agreed to help you stabilize, not this. I have a job that has been suffering and a life."

Spock could feel her anguish and he had to reinforce his shields or he could succumb to it. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"I think you can. Should these children suffer due to your fear? They are mine and yours, you would not be alone in this endeavor."

Her face turned a bright shade of red and she huffed.

"It's not safe. We're on a starship in space."

"Would you rather we leave to New Vulcan? You were offered a position at the medical center."

Her eyes widened in shock and she quickly shook her head.

"I will ensure your's and the unborn children's safety. I urge you to make the correct decision. Children are far to few and precious a gift to simply throw away. You've seen the difficulties yourself in doing your research to assist the many infertile vulcans to be able to have what we have now."

She shook her head and put it in her hands, thinking. He waited for her thoughts to stabilize. He hoped for Charlotte to make the correct choice otherwise he would be forced to make it for her. Children, on Vulcan are seen as precious and termination would never be allowed. He did not wish to have to bring it up unless necessary.

"Ok. But it has to be alright with Bones. I don't think I could do an abortion anyway. While I believe in choice I don't think I could do it."

Spock squeezed her hand and left to tell the doctors their decision. He was looking forward to telling his father the news.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi! Thank you so much for everything! Any time I get a review or someone decides to add me to the follow list I want to do backflips in excitement! But I'd probably end up breaking something or my neck but I do a happy dance and show it off to my boyfriend. Ok, as a heads up, for those who don't know a lot about reproduction, a woman ovulates about 2 wk.s after a cycle. That's typical and then they have fun and 2 wk.s after that is when she would miss her monthly. An ultrasound would show the embryo to be 4 weeks old even though it was "conceived" two weeks ago. They count it from the end of the last cycle. Weird, huh? Anyway, enough biology and onto drama! I am hoping to develop Charlotte's other relationships in this chapter. Any ideas or changes, please let me know.**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Eleven

Charlotte fidgeted under the thin sheet in the medical bay after Spock left her. Her mind was still spinning with the new knowledge and it was a frightening thing. She felt duped by Sarek but couldn't help feeling a small thrill of excitement going through her at the fact that life was growing inside of her. Chris came over and added the last bag of fluids for her and gave her a big smile.

"I can't believe it! Are you excited that you're going to be a mother?" She asked, practically bouncing.

She shifted and had to think before answering. Chapel's enthusiasm was slightly alarming.

"Yes but I wasn't expecting it. I had always wanted kids but I thought it would be with someone I loved and not for a long time."

She smiled at her friend's happiness over the news but turned quickly serious. She had to convey her fear.

"Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we...you know...keep this quiet? I don't want anyone treating me differently or anything. I want to be able to really get back into the swing of things."

Chris bit her lip and looked away nervously. It made Charlotte nervous.

"What?"

She grabbed Chris's hand to get her to face her. Her blue eyes shifted as she frowned.

"Well, I had to send the report to the Captain and M'Benga had to send documentation to the Vulcan registry."

She heaved a sigh of relief. If they were the only ones, then she felt ok about it. The vulcans can't really do much to interfere and the Captain, though she knew he liked to gossip would know enough to keep it to himself. All she needed was the all-clear from one of the doctors to be able to get back to work.

"That's ok, Chris. Just please don't tell anyone else. Ok?"

Chris leaned down and hugged her and she hugged back.

"Ok."

"Thanks"

Chris had to excuse herself and left to fill out paperwork. Charlotte looked up at the remaining bag and saw she still had another hour to go. She felt great now that she was getting hydrated and wasn't throwing up. She was thinking about what to try and have for lunch when Dr. McCoy sat down next to her. There were lines around his eyes and his lips were pursed showing his irritation. Charlotte returned his look with a small smile, hoping to reassure him.

"Look, Spock told me you wanted to continue the pregnancy. I wanted to hear it from you. I saw how upset you were at hearing the news and I know you're not too happy at the thought of being married."

He was a good friend. She took his hand.

"You're right. I'm not too happy about this situation. I don't really have a lot of choice in the matter but I have to accept it. I don't think I could handle a termination. And Spock and I are just friends right now. The fact that I'm pregnant changes things a little but I know that he will respect me. I ask you to do the same."

She squeezed his hand to reassure him further.

"Can we keep this pregnancy quiet for a while?"

He gave her a forced smile and nodded.

"It'll come out eventually though, Charlotte."

Her face dropped and she could feel the pressure of it weighing on her.

"Yeah, I know. I just want things to try and get back to normal. Have a life again and see my friends and do my job that I love. I want to get back to exploring and caring for people."

He looked at her IV bag and turned back to her, moving his hand to her shoulder.

"Well, I agree. I need my nurse back. You can come back tomorrow. I'll give you nausea medication to take home and you'll need to take copper and multi-vitamin supplements with folic acid. The supplements come in pill form but as you know your nausea medication is best received in shot form."

She nodded her understanding, grateful he was accepting her choices. He quickly finished her IV and was about to send her home when his comm beeped at him. Frowning he pulled up the message next to her.

_"Bridge to Dr. McCoy."_

"McCoy here."

_"We have received orders to proceed to Taurus VI. The northern continent recently suffered a severe earthquake and medical assistance is desperately needed."_

Charlotte looked at McCoy in horror. It had to have been devastating to require assistance from outside.

"How long until we reach them?"

_"Twelve hours."_

"We'll be ready. McCoy out."

He turned to Charlotte who was watching him with wide eyes.

"You think you'll be up for it?"

"Yeah. As soon as you disconnect me I can start putting together the emergency kits."

McCoy moved to disconnect her and Charlotte moved off the biobed and quickly changed into her spare uniform that she kept in the back. She moved to her station and spent the next four hours putting together first aid kits, organizing medications, while Chris was organizing the medical teams to head down when they arrived. Her anxiety was starting to make her feel a little sick as she listened to Chris.

"Charlotte, you and Dr. McCoy will be focusing on the northern rim. There's a lot of wilderness and the people there are just small town people. The nearest hospital to their town is thirty miles away so you will probably be the first on the scene. Once they're stable, you'll be moving south working your way to the main hospital. Dr. M'Benga and I will be in the southwest region and work our way up. Nurses Baker, Ramirez, S'Ress, and Cho will meet with the hospital staff and co-ordinate with the rescue teams closer to the hospital."

Chris looked at them with pride as they all chorused their understanding.

"Captain Kirk will be organizing the first responders with Commander Spock. Now, all of you, get some rest. We're gonna need it."

Charlotte grabbed the bag of nausea and supplements and made her way back to her quarters. She walked in and tossed the bag on her bed before heading to the replicator and punching the codes in for some minestrone soup and ice water. She got about halfway through her soup before Spock walked in. He ordered his dinner and sat down across from her, typing on his PADDs.

"Spock."

She nodded a greeting to him before placing her dishes in the reprocessor. He nodded and continued typing. The silence was a little uncomfortable but it was nice in a way. She quickly changed and laid down, setting her alarms for 5 hours so she'd be ready when they arrive.

Snuggling under her blankets, she almost fell asleep before she heard a chime and her door open.

"You are not going down to Taurus VI. It is too dangerous."

Rolling her eyes in irritation, Charlotte turned over to face Spock. He was still standing in her doorway holding a PADD with her and Dr. McCoy's names on it.

"I'm going, Spock. It's my job, just like you're doing yours. Good night."

She felt the mattress shift beneath her as Spock sat down next to her. She could feel how tense his muscles were.

"Spock, people are dying. My job is to save people and this is what I do. My superior told me to go and I'm going. Good night."

He sat for a moment longer, watching her and thinking. She had come to recognize that his eyes unfocused slightly when he was deep in thought.

"You could co-ordinate from the ship."

She waved an arm at him in a signal for him to leave and rolled over. Spock sat next to her for a while longer, clearly unsure of his next move but he soon left and she was able to fall asleep almost instantly.

The alarms started ringing and jerked her out of a comfortable sleep. She saw it was 0400 and she moaned and rolled out of bed. The moment she was upright she felt the familiar burst of nausea and bolted for the bathroom. This was definitely not the best start to her day.

It took an hour before she was ready and she practically had to run to get to the transporter room. It was empty apart from the equipment that would be following Dr. McCoy and her down. She quickly spotted the list and spent the next hour double checking they had everything and was ready when Leonard walked in. She could feel her nervousness starting to rise. It was almost time. Her heart started a staccato pattern against her throat as the transporter operator came in and started transport. The view of the orderly, clean room was quickly exchanged for one of utter chaos.

The minute they arrived, it was like she was in a nightmare. The equipment followed quickly behind them but it felt like nothing more than a pack of band-aids for what was all around them.

"Oh my god."

They had transported in what appeared to be the town square. There were bodies all around them, buildings half collapsed, fires going everywhere, children crying and people running all over the place. A burly man in a plaid shirt ran over. His face was scratched and his clothing was singed and torn. He looked almost as wrecked as the town they had arrived in.

"You from the Enterprise?" He asked curtly.

"Yeah, Dr. McCoy and my nurse, Charlotte Jones."

McCoy stepped forward.

"Samuel Thompson. We've set up a temporary hospital in the school gymnasium. I'll help move the equipment in."

He quickly shook their hands and they rushed to grab what they could carry. Charlotte found the gym and was impressed. There were settlers handling triage as well as she would have done. There were rows and rows of people lined up on mats and each person had a tag attached to them indicating the severity of their injuries. She could see though that they had a long day ahead. The colonists were proficient at first aid but they were in over their heads when it came to the severe injuries.

Moving to the back of the gym, McCoy and Charlotte set up a small operating theater with the equipment from the Enterprise and almost the second that she had finished snapping together the table they had their first patient. A young black man who'd had his abdomen crushed by a collapsed ceiling. He was so young and handsome and shouldn't be here on an operating table.

McCoy and her quickly gowned up and her on one side with him on the other started working. They had been able to quickly clean the abdominal cavity minimizing peritonitis, remove the ruptured spleen, and close the tears to his lower intestine. Dr. McCoy left Charlotte to close as he looked at their next patient.

The next was a young girl who had been impaled on a pole, then an old woman with crushing injuries to her chest, blood in her pericardium, tension pneumothorax and then another patient and another. As the faces began to blur before her she had to start distancing herself and become a machine. The doctor had clearly done the same.

At this point there was no talking between them as they worked seamlessly together, him reaching for the tools and her handing them to him. They finally stabilized their last surgical patient and just stood looking at each other. Charlotte saw McCoy start to slump in exhaustion and Charlotte wished she could follow but her work was just starting. Now that surgery was done, she still had non-surgical patients to tend to. She slowly peeled off the scrubs she had been in for the past 24 hours and pulled on a fresh set before she moved to their makeshift hospital.

McCoy followed her and together they moved to complete their job. There were still fractures to set, medications to administer and cuts to close.

"Doctor, I'll take this side and you get the other."

She pointed and gave him a weak smile that he grimaced back. His face was full of stubble and his eyes were haunted by the events of the past day. She had seen him give everything he had in surgery, taking every death as a personal attack. His determination to save just one more life with each surgery was what kept her going even when she wasn't sure she could.

She was glad that it only took another 4 hours to do her side. The colonists had done a wonderful job in healing the majority of the injuries. She administered the last hypo and turned to McCoy's side. He was sat, leaning over a small girl but he wasn't moving. The little girl was watching him and giggling but Charlotte saw no hint of a reaction.

She walked over and stood next to him.

"Doctor? Dr. McCoy?"

She placed a hand on his back and still received no response. Concerned, she bent down to look into his face. She was rewarded by a loud snore and the little girl giggled even louder. Charlotte smiled at her and the girl moved to see better.

"I think he's a little tired. What do you think, little one?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, it's his nap time." She replied.

"Yeah."

She waved a hand to one of the colonists who had been filling a role of an orderly and he quickly brought a stretcher up behind Leonard. Between the two of them they got him on the stretcher and tucked him in.

"What's your name?" She asked the orderly.

"Liam."

"I need to know the names of the patients so I can chart them and send for transport to a proper facility. Can you do that while I grab some coffee and a snack?"

He gave a terse nod and ran off. She just wanted to go to sleep. She was beyond tired, her head was pounding and her feet hurt from running. Charlotte wondered how the other nurses were faring. She sincerely hoped it was better than her.

She found the makeshift canteen and small bags of emergency rations. There was only coffee and water in addition to the rations. She grabbed a bag and a large cup of black coffee before heading back to the gymnasium.

Once she sat down, Liam handed her the list she had requested and she set to work. It took another two hours but her paperwork wasn't too bad. She had her list of the patients ready for transport and a list of injured and dead. She also included requests for supplies and let them know that things were almost stable. She typed in her signature and sent it to the Enterprise.

_"Enterprise to Doctor McCoy."_

Well, that was fast. She grabbed the communicator next to her and quickly flipped it open.

"Jones here. McCoy's not available."

A pause.

_"We'll be sending the supplies and a transport team in 4 hours. Can you hold out until then?"_

"We'll be fine. We look forward to seeing you. Jones out."

She snapped the comm closed and rubbed her face. Four hours. She knew she needed to sleep but she had to keep an eye on everything. She stretched and walked to do rounds and came up to Dr. McCoy. He was snoring softly and dead to the world. She put a hand on him in passing and walked outside.

The sunshine was a wonderful change from the gymnasium. It warmed her completely and woke her better than the coffee. Closing her eyes she stretched her arms out and lifted her face upwards to feel the sun on her face.

"Feels good after a long night, huh?"

Charlotte jumped and started to fall only to be caught by a pair of strong hands that helped push her back up. She turned to see Samuel Thompson standing next to her smiling. He looked a lot better since she'd seen him when they first arrived. He was still tired but he looked more confident and had fresh clothes on.

"Yeah. The Enterprise should be sending back up in a couple of hours. Thank you for your help."

He wrapped an arm around her as they walked around the wreckage of the town. Charlotte checked her comm and made sure it was hooked up to receive any alarms from the patients and continued to walk.

"Thank you. You and Dr. McCoy did a great job."

"I just wish we could have done more. Your people did an amazing job in triage. We would never have been able to save as many as we did without that."

Thompson smiled and pulled her closer and she pulled away slightly. She could hear a small noise and she stiffened.

"What's wrong?"

"Shh." She hissed, holding a hand up. She looked around and moved quietly. Samuel moved behind her.

"Did you check all the buildings? Was anybody reported missing?" She whispered.

She moved closer and could hear a faint banging, like someone kicking a metal pipe. She moved to a house that was half standing, the entire front had collapsed to where it almost looked like it had been sectioned off. She heard the banging again, louder and more insistent.

"Oh, god! Samuel! There's someone down there. Go get McCoy and a medical kit. I'm gonna climb down and see if I can find them."

She felt a hand grab her as she started to go in and turned to see Thompson holding her.

"I'll go. It's too dangerous."

She shrugged him off easily.

"Just go!" She shouted.

He jumped and followed her orders and she carefully climbed over the wreckage of the former home. The bricks and rubble causing her to stumble occasionally.

"Can you keep banging? It'll help me find you." She said loudly.

Her ears seemed to be picking up every sound, the dripping of the water from the pipes, the sound of rocks dropping...and the sound of the pipe being hit. It sounded like it was beneath her. The thought horrified her. Of being buried alive. She anxiously looked around and found a small opening to the level below her.

Picking her way through, she looked down and saw a small child trapped under a fallen beam. Her red hair stuck to her face with a mixture of blood and water from a pipe leaking above her. She was hitting the pipe with a brick. Her eyes were so wide with fear and full of tears as she kept hitting the pipe.

"I see you. I'm coming down."

The look of relief was evident. The little girl's arm dropped and she lay back, sobbing silently. Charlotte slowly lowered herself down, using the pipes as handholds. With every movement she could feel the bricks shift. She started to move quicker to lessen the risk of it coming down on her. She looked down and saw she was only a foot off the ground and she was out of handholds. She closed her eyes and let go, preparing for a rough landing when she felt a searing pain up her leg.

Once she landed she hissed in pain. Blood started running down her leg and her pants had been torn, knee to hip. Looking up, she saw a jagged piece of metal with blood on it.

"Oh, man."

She didn't have time for this. She turned and saw the girl watching her with big green eyes.

"Hey sweetie. You're gonna be ok. You want to tell me your name?"

She kneeled down next to her and started to visually check the child over.

"Amanda."

She smiled and started checking her pulse and temperature.

"Hi Amanda. I'm Charlotte. Can you tell me where you hurt?"

Amanda gave a weak smile.

"My leg. It's stuck. I'm so tired, Charlotte."

"It's ok. Can you be brave for me and stay awake while I look at your leg?"

Amanda gave a little nod. Charlotte pulled off her shirt, leaving just her black undershirt on and covered the child. Her temperature was low, pulse was a little too fast. Charlotte didn't see any guarding or swelling in her abdomen, lungs sounded good. She moved to her legs. The left was fine but the right was pinned by the beam. Not by the weight but by the position of it. The leg had an open compound fracture and her foot was trapped by her boot. If she could get the boot off, she'd be able to squeeze her out.

She moved back up to see Amanda's face.

"Ok. I'm gonna have to try and get your shoe off. It might hurt. I'm sorry. Do you think you can be brave for just a bit longer?"

Amanda's eyes got wider in fear. She put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it and the girl nodded allowing her permission.

"I'm scared, Charlotte."

"I know, sweetie."

Charlotte looked around and quickly found two long pieces of wood. Tearing strips from her torn pants leg she went to carefully stabilize the fracture. Amanda stayed silent.

"Charlotte! Where are you?"

She laughed in relief at the sound of Dr. McCoy.

"I'm down here. I've got a little girl trapped. I can free her but I need pain medication, something to cut her shoe off and a stretcher with neck collar."

She looked up to see McCoy looking down at her through the small opening. He looked pale with worry and tiredness.

"It's coming now."

She saw a bag lower with the collar and grabbed it quickly. She attached the collar around the neck, then rummaged in the bag for a medical scanner. She almost cried in relief when she saw only a minor concussion, mild hypothermia and broken tib-fib fracture. She set he hypospray for pain medication and antibiotic and administered it.

"I'm ready for a back board now!" She shouted.

It was quickly lowered and poor Amanda started crying as Charlotte slid it under starting at her head. Once she secured the child she pulled out a pair of scissors and quickly removed the boot. With it off, she was able to manipulate the foot and pushed the backboard away from the beam.

"You did great Amanda! We'll have you out of here in a minute, ok?"

She grabbed the lines that had brought the stretcher down and tied them carefully. She was terrified about sending her up. She set up a guide rope so she could make sure the transfer would be stable.

"Ready down here. Start pulling!"

"Got it, Charlotte!"

As they pulled Amanda up, Charlotte was rewarded with a grin that felt as amazing as the sun had earlier that day. The girl was quickly pulled out of her sight and she moved to sit down and wait for her turn when she felt a tell-tale rumbling. Bits of stone started coming down as the earth beneath her started shaking and heaving. Pipes clattered and bricks fell on top of her as he tried to shield herself with her hands. She felt a brick slam into her head and her last thoughts were of the little girl and she hoped she'd made it out. She faintly heard McCoy screaming her name as the world turned black.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry it took so long to update. Kids are out of school and keeping me busy! I hope it's ok. Any changes or ideas, please let me know. I love hearing from readers. It really makes my day and inspires me to continue! Thank you to all of you who have decided to follow/review/favorite. I always do a happy dance when I receive an email telling me!**

**tishbing**

Chapter Twelve

Commander Spock walked out of Charlotte's room satisfied that she would see the logic of his reasoning and he set out to speak with Dr. McCoy. The corridors of the ship were quiet in the late hours and it was peaceful. Sickbay was the ultimate dichotomy from the rest of the ship. There were storage bins, medical equipment, and crew members rushing all around. Spock wondered briefly how this chaos could possibly be understood by any staff member.

He spotted the doctor checking items off of a list and walking. He moved over to join him.

"Jimenez! We're gonna need more sterilizer kits in the third set."

"Yes doctor." A young man shouted back.

Spock moved closer, aware of the fact that the doctor had not noticed him. He cleared his throat to signal his arrival and McCoy jumped at the intrusion.

"Commander! You startled me. Everything ok?"

Spock thrust out his PADD which Dr. McCoy took with a curious glance. As his eyes quickly scanned the document, he started frowning.

"Yeah, it's the response team assignments."

McCoy shrugged and handed the PADD back to him. Spock felt a small wave of irritation.

"I do not wish for Ensign Jones to go to the surface. The planet's tectonic stabilizers are not functioning and it is dangerous."

Spock stated his reasons calmly and waited. The doctor turned back to him and put down his supply list and indicated they walk into his office. Spock complied. Once the door shut Spock stood stiffly by the desk while McCoy sat on the couch.

"Spock, Taurus VI needs medical personnel. Charlotte is one of them. There isn't a valid reason to keep her on the ship. She's not at any more risk than anyone else."

Spock could feel his irritation growing but he quickly shut it down. He projected an aura of calm as he continued his argument.

"I disagree. She is pregnant and..."

McCoy interrupted.

"Is not disabled. It's a natural thing and unless she show's signs of pre-eclampsia or something, she should be fine to do everything she's always done."

McCoy leaned forward, elbows on knees and his jaw set. Spock could see he would not win this argument. He turned to leave when he was stopped by the doctor adding another comment.

"She'll be fine Spock."

He turned to the other man.

"She had better be."

And he left to rest and meditate. When he heard his chimes ringing at 0500, he realized that they were due to arrive at the planet soon. He noticed that Charlotte had left already and quickly got ready for the day. He had wanted to see her off but was unsure if she would welcome it. He decided he'd see her soon on the planet once he had been able to repair the tectonic stabilizers that had malfunctioned.

He made his way to the bridge and saw the captain was waiting for him as he arrived.

"Captain."

"Commander, I've talked with Taurus VI's governor. He's a man named Amir Behnam. They've been hit by several severe aftershocks and are needing supplies, medical personnel, and a team to help repair their environmental systems."

Spock typed up his plan for relief teams and sent it to his Captain's PADD. Kirk smiled at the organized data and slapped him on the shoulder.

"I believe that this should work. Bones sent me the medical personnel team lists. These teams you have set up to assist with rescue and supply distribution is great."

Kirk continued reading the detailed list.

"Arriving at Taurus VI, Captain. We're set to orbit and teams are standing by to transport down."

Sulu's voice rang out on the bridge causing both officers to look up.

"Alright, thank you Lieutenant Sulu. Uhura, please inform Governor Behnam we've arrived and will meet him at the main city square. I think it's called..."

Kirk snapped his fingers trying to remember and Spock let forth an audible sigh in frustration.

"The main city is New Haven."

"Thank you, Mr. Spock."

Spock followed the captain from the bridge to the transporter room and they were quickly beamed down with repair equipment. The city was in ruins. Spock was curious as to whether Charlotte's location was as damaged as this. There were collapsed buildings, some with small fires still raging inside, creating an orange glow in the alleys. There were people rushing to and fro carrying stretchers, injured and tools currently used to extricate survivors. The square was nothing more than rubble in what clearly used to be a source of pride for these people.

Spock could see that though the devastation was immense, the response from the survivors was well organized and it looked to be under control, or as much control as it could be under these circumstances.

"Captain Kirk?"

A loud voice boomed in their direction and Spock and Kirk turned to the newcomer. A large, balding, dark skinned man wearing a grey jumpsuit. His black hair just around the edges of the back and sides of his head. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat and smudges of dirt were present on his clothing. Kirk quickly shifted his engineering bag to his other hand and moved forward to greet him.

"Governor Behnam?"

The man's face broke out in a relieved smile as he took Kirk's hand. He pointed to the distance and gave a small hysterical laugh as he saw teams materialize from the Enterprise appear with supplies.

"Yes, oh thank you! Thank you!"

They stepped forward and started to follow Behnam as he led them through the former square to a small one story building that had seemed to survive the devastation relatively intact. Spock pulled out his tricorder and scanned.

"Taurus VI's environmental controls?" He asked calmly.

Their guide shifted his stance and looked up, squaring his shoulders before replying.

"Yes. The power cells for all of the systems had started failing about six months ago. We sent multiple requests for aid from Starfleet but after everything that happened we kept being put off."

Kirk's expression hardened as he moved closer, grabbing the governor by his arm.

"What did you do? Those power cells should have lasted a further six months from what I read. That's why Starfleet put you on a wait list."

Behnam pulled away, eyes wide, almost hysterical. The sight was disturbing to him.

"We didn't know if anyone was going to show up. We couldn't get a damn answer from anyone!"

His voice rose as he continued. His eyes flicked between the two officers as he continued his tirade.

"We had to find someone to help us. We made a deal with a passing ferengi ship. They offered a computer program that would decrease the system's power output and not compromise performance. They said it would double the life of the power cells."

"And what happened?" Kirk continued, his voice icy.

"It caused a cascade failure, systemwide. All the power cells were drained within 6 days. Our technicians haven't been able to stop it."

Behnam's voice was barely above a whisper as he finished. Even Spock barely heard what had been said. He understood Behnam's desperation and fear but not the actions taken. Every species knew to avoid ferengi business dealings. They are ruthless in their quest for latinum.

"Take us to the environmental systems."

Spock hurried after the two men, mindful of the knowledge that through this man, they had their work cut out for them.

It had been twenty-four hours before they had identified and purged the recurrent algorithm from the system. The damage had been severe and now new power systems had to be installed in each location. Spock calculated which areas were most likely to suffer seismic activity and sent the information to the Enterprise.

"Good work, Spock. I think Scotty and his team can handle it from here while we take a break."

Kirk smiled and stretched. Spock resisted the urge to do the same. The two of them had been hunched over the systems since arriving and Spock was beginning to feel the strain of the close quarters and long hours. He would need to check on Charlotte's team before allowing himself to rest.

"You ok?" Kirk asked.

Spock could see the lines around the man's eyes denoting concern.

"I am well. I would like to contact Dr. McCoy and ascertain the status of their village before I retire."

Kirk started laughing and slapped him on the back. The vulcan recoiled slightly at the physical contact.

"You could just say that you're worried about her, you know?"

Spock's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had been unaware that he had been so obvious. Jim moved to take a seat in front of him and turned serious.

"How are things between you and Ensign Jones? I know that it's spiraled a bit out of control since she found out about the link between you two and then the whole pregnancy thing. She must be a little freaked out."

Spock shifted and thought. He had not had adequate time to process the pregnancy himself and he doubted that Charlotte had either.

"Things are as well as they could be, for now. We are cordial to each other. I am finding it difficult to establish a closer relationship with her as of late. She is...stubborn."

Kirk shook his head in amusement, his eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, I figured she would be after being steam-rolled. I think she'll eventually come around, though. I can see that you care for her. Just continue to take it slow and she'll appreciate it. I think you should try finding a topic of common interest or find out more of what she likes."

Spock rose an eyebrow in his own amusement. Here was Captain Kirk, notorious for relationship dodging and one night stands, attempting to advise him on the very thing he avoids. Clearly, Jim understood Spock's lack of enthusiasm at the advice offered.

"Yeah, I know. Not the most reliable source of information but it's what I'd try if I found someone I liked."

Spock contemplated his advice and before he could formulate a response alarms began blaring and the dark room began to glow red. Spock could feel his heart rate increase as he pulled up the monitors trying to determine what was going on. Kirk was faster.

"There's an earthquake, sector j-2, northern continent."

Spock looked closer at the readings and his heart clenched. He saw that the affected area was near the village Dr. McCoy had been sent to. The magnitude was listed as a 8.0 on the Richter scale. He was grabbing his communicator to send teams to the epicenter when he felt a wave of pain and panic that was not his. He knew, instantly, that it was Charlotte.

McCoy stumbled through the newly collapsed building, a sense of panic threatening to overwhelm him. He savagely tore at the wreckage and continued screaming Charlotte's name. In the distance he heard the transporter but ignored it as he kept pulling at the bricks.

"Doctor? What's going on?"

McCoy's head turned and he saw what he supposed was his relief team. A group of six red shirts and behind them was a mountain of supplies. They were regarding him warily, almost like he was a madman and in a way, he probably looked like one. His face was unshaven, he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and he was trying to get into a crumbled building.

"My nurse is in there. We just had another earthquake and it collapsed on her. We've got to get her out."

His voice was hoarse from shouting. His hands numb as he continued to pull at the rubble. He was quickly joined by five of the team. They were all young men, and the sixth member was a young woman with bright red hair. She was scanning the wreckage when her eyes widened in fear.

"Oh, my god! Stop! It's unstable and could come down at any minute."

She shouted at them and though his instincts screamed to dive in and grab his heroic idiot of a nurse, he had to step back too. His chest felt like there was a tight band across it, squeezing tighter as every second passed. He turned to the red haired woman, his hands were shaking but his voice was steady.

"Do you read life signs?"

She adjusted her scanner and it was all he could do to wait and not rip it from her hands with how long it was taking.

"Yes, and I see a communicator near her location."

The bands loosened slightly with the knowledge that Charlotte was alive but he didn't know her condition. As he grabbed his communicator to try and get through to her it had started chirping. Surprised he slowly opened it.

"McCoy here."

A burst of static and then he heard a retching sound before he heard a faint voice.

"Jones here. I'm ok."

He felt the color drain from his face and his knees grew weak from relief. It was quickly replaced with anger. She had no business climbing into a potentially unstable building even if it had been to save someone.

"Like hell you are! Where are you hurt?"

He could hear a weak sigh and he knew she was rolling her eyes at him. It only irritated him more.

"Charlotte?"

"I've got a bump to the head and a cut to my leg. I'm not pinned down or anything."

McCoy nodded his understanding and turned to the group next to him.

"You think Enterprise can beam her out and then bring her back down here?" So I can kill her he added mentally.

"Yeah, it'll just be a minute."

He turned on the young woman as she was talking into her communicator signaling the Enterprise and pulled his close to his face.

"Charlotte, the Enterprise is gonna beam you out and then to us. Alright?"

"Ok."

He flipped his comm shut and waited. The colonist who'd woken McCoy came running up, out of breath.

"Is she gonna be ok?"

McCoy scowled at him.

"I hope so. We're getting her out now. Is everyone else alright?"

McCoy had to ask. He was pleased to see him tilt his head in an affirmative. He then heard and saw the swirling transport about five feet away. Charlotte was standing hunched and slowly straightened up. She was covered in dirt and dust to the point where she looked like a statue. The only color McCoy could see was a long red slash to her left leg and blood was trickling down and the deep red of blood on a cut to the crown of her head.

McCoy ran over and grabbed her arms, forcing her to sit. He was worried when she didn't say anything. The colonist, Samuel, handed him a first aid kit and medical scanner which he quickly ran over his nurse.

"Just what were you thinking? You could have been killed." He managed through clenched teeth.

Charlotte's head whirled around, eyes wide and her mouth was open in surprise.

"I'm sorry. How was I supposed to know we'd get hit with another quake?"

She mumbled and looked away. Bones breathed a sigh of relief at the readings. He grabbed a container of sterile saline and started rinsing her wounds and slowly closed them with his portable regenerator. The leg took a while as it was deep.

"Are the babies ok?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah, just these cuts and a minor concussion. You're also showing signs of exhaustion."

Charlotte's body sagged and he wrapped an arm around her, bringing her close. Her body relaxed into his and he felt her bring her arms around him in a hug.

"Is the little girl ok?"

Her voice was muffled against his neck.

"Yes, she just needs her leg set and some rest."

Charlotte slowly pulled away and smiled. He quickly administered an antibiotic.

"What happened?"

Spock's sudden appearance startled them. McCoy noticed Spock's eyes flashed dangerously and he knew that though Spock's face was calm that he was seething inside.

"Charlotte went in after a little girl in that building."

He pointed to the pile of brick that was once a home.

"And we got the child out but then we had an earthquake that destabilized the house causing it to collapse before we could get her out. She's fine, no broken bones, minor concussion, some cuts that were easily healed."

Spock was watching Charlotte intently, scanning her from head to toe and McCoy could see she was fidgeting at the attention. She'd clearly had enough and started to stand to leave when both men put a hand on each shoulder and prevented her rising.

"I'm fine. I just need a shower and a nap." She muttered.

McCoy shook his head slowly.

"We're fine here. We've finally got some back up and you're no use to me right now. We'll get you a bunk and you can rest in the gym. Someone needs to keep an eye on you for the next twelve hours because of that bump to your head."

Spock looked up.

"I could watch her. I have been told to "take a break" as well. She may be more comfortable on the Enterprise."

McCoy looked at Spock and sensing his concern, agreed. Much to Charlotte's chagrin.

"Wait a minute, I'm fine."

Spock looked down at her and even McCoy could feel a chill from the cold look he gave her.

"No."

He carefully helped her stand on her shaking legs and opened his communicator.

"Spock to Enterprise. Two to beam up."

McCoy waved to them as they left. He had thought about writing Charlotte up for her being so reckless in her rescue attempt, risking herself instead of waiting but he figured she'd get enough of an earful from Spock to leave a lasting impression. After all, it worked for Kirk...most of the time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi! Here's the fun confrontation! I hope it's ok and any ideas, comments or questions are always welcome. I live for reviews! thank you to everyone who is reviewing and those of you who aren't, you know you want to.**

**tishbing**

Chapter Thirteen

Charlotte was positively shaking as the Enterprise's transporter room came into view. She moved to take a step down from the platform when she felt an iron grip around her upper arm. She could feel the anger rolling off Spock in waves and she could feel her own irritation. At herself for the accident and at Spock for acting like an immature caveman.

"I can walk you know." She snapped.

She tried to jerk her arm out of his grip but he only tightened it.

"I merely wish to make sure that you make it to our quarters safely."

His tone was neutral but she could see how angry he was. The way his eyes flashed when he glanced at her as they were walking to their room. Well, mainly he was walking, she was being half dragged, a dust cloud being left in her wake. She was a lot shorter than Spock so his grip was causing her to hop next to him. He didn't relinquish his grip until they were inside their shared home.

Once she was free of him she immediately went to her room and grabbed a night shirt and shorts and walked into the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and could understand why McCoy had been concerned. There was no part of her that wasn't covered with debris, dirt or blood. Her eyes were the only part that wasn't red with blood or grey with dust. She peeled off her uniform and stepped into the shower, opting for water rather than the traditional sonic.

Washing the dirt and blood and grime from her body was therapeutic. The hot water cascaded on her shoulders and back, helping her with the headache developing behind her eyes. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and leaned against the wall of the shower. The memories of the building falling around her filled her and reminded her how close she had come to not walking away. She slid down the wall and put her head on her knees, letting the water continue to massage her back.

She didn't know how long she'd been there but she heard a noise in the bathroom. Her senses came to alert and she quickly stood. She held her breath and waited.

"Charlotte, you have been in here for forty-five minutes. I am concerned that you may be injured."

Charlotte immediately squeaked a protest and moved to cover herself when Spock stepped in view. He held out a towel to her and she snatched it, almost growling her irritation at him. He simply stood and waited while she wrapped the towel around herself.

"I was relaxing. I'm not hurt."

She stared at pointedly for him to leave but he didn't take the hint.

"Do you mind?" She asked rudely.

"I am not leaving until you are in bed. I am unsure as to why you are taking so long in your hygiene ritual when you should be resting."

She wanted to roll her eyes so bad but she refrained, knowing that if she did she'd make her headache a lot worse. He must have sensed her irritation because he turned his back to her allowing her a measure of privacy as she threw her clothes on. The second her shirt was down he turned back, watching her dry her hair.

She had to step around him to leave the bathroom and stormed into her room and he was still following her. She chose to stay quiet as she grabbed her lotion and started to work on her legs and arms. The smell of cherry blossoms and almonds filled her room as she worked her frustration out on her legs. He sat on the edge of her bed and waited.

"What?" She finally worked out.

"You should not have gone into that building. You put yourself in unnecessary danger." He said quietly.

"I did not. I had clear access to the patient and was able to get her out without a problem. The structure was stable. How was I supposed to know that there was going to be another earthquake?" She stated.

Spock gave an audible sigh and Charlotte paused in her ministrations to look at him. He had a slight frown on his face and his eyes looked...sad. She immediately felt a wave of guilt for causing him to worry. She could feel his worry radiating off him on top of his other emotions. His face was pale and drawn and she wondered when he had rested last.

"The babies are fine." She muttered and started working on her hands.

Spock moved closer and put his hands over hers. She felt a sudden influx of concern and worry hit her. It was so much it knocked the breath out of her. She tried to pull her hands out of his grasp and he held tighter and moved closer to her, pulling her to him. She felt tears in her eyes from a fear of loss that wasn't her own and his face was so close to hers. His eyes looked into her own and she noticed gold flecks in the deep brown of his irises.

Her breathing hitched and it felt like her heart was in her throat. She could feel the heat from him as he moved closer to her and she couldn't look away. He brought a hand up and brushed a curl of her hair out of the way.

"I was concerned about _you_, Charlotte." He said softly.

He slowly moved forward and his lips brushed against hers. He moved his hand behind her head and pulled her closer into him deepening the kiss and she found herself kissing him back. She opened her mouth and felt his tongue in her mouth moving and exploring and she loved it. She wrapped her arms around him as he moved onto the bed fully, not leaving her mouth.

Her body trembled as he laid her down and moved to kiss her neck, leaving a trail of fire as he moved, causing her to arch her back in pleasure. nHis hands tracing lines along her arms and moving lower. She could feel the beginnings of arousal as his hands slowly went under her shirt, gently brushing the skin on her stomach.

_"McCoy to Spock."_

Spock stopped and just like that, Charlotte was brought crashing back to reality. He carefully climbed off of her and stiffly walked to the wall comm unit and hit it hard, causing her to jump.

"Yes doctor?"

_"I'm just checking in on Charlotte. Is everything ok?"_

"Yes, doctor. Everything is satisfactory."

As they continued their conversation, Charlotte's mind was whirling. No. No. No. This was Spock. She didn't like him like that. Just no. It couldn't work. He had his life and she had hers. Just no. She couldn't. She had to get her head on straight. It had felt so right with him kissing her and touching her and his...no. Just no. She had to mentally shake her head to get rid of those thoughts.

Spock came back after signing off from his conversation with the doctor and sat next to her. He reached out touching her arm and she could feel his desire coursing through her. She shoved it away quickly, focusing instead on her life. This was not what she had planned. Spock must have sensed the change and he pulled back as though she burned him.

"I'm sorry. I just can't do this. This isn't what I had planned in life. I'm sorry I led you on." She shifted guiltily and couldn't look at him.

She knew he was disappointed but she just couldn't involve herself right now. She had to focus on her job if she wanted to move up.

"I will not lie and say that I am not disappointed by your change of heart. I care for you and will not stop caring for you. You are a part of me and I am a part of you. You are carrying our children. No matter what you may think we are forever linked."

He left her to think about what he said with a lingering look. She watched him go and couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. She laid back down with a huff and closed her eyes.

The next morning Charlotte woke up with her stomach rolling and her head pounding. She rolled over groaning and in her misery she heard her door slide open.

"Charlotte, I'm going to give you your nausea medication and a mild analgesic. You may feel a slight sting."

She buried her face in her pillow as Spock gave her her injection. He was very gentle with it and she waited for him to leave. He didn't. Once she knew she wasn't going to throw up on him she slowly turned over to face him. He was watching her intently.

"Thank you. I'd better grab something to eat and get ready to go back to work."

She slid off the bed with her arms wrapped around herself and moved to grab a cup of coffee and a muffin. Once seated at the table, Spock joined her with a cup of tea. She smiled politely and sipped her coffee, thankful for the antiemetic.

"Here are your supplements."

She took the proffered pills and focused on her coffee. She couldn't imagine a more awkward morning.

"I believe that you should be made aware that your duty assignments have been changed in light of recent events."

She nearly choked on her coffee. She looked up, her eyes wide in surprise but kept her voice steady. She knew it wouldn't look good to lose it.

"You are no longer authorized for away missions until the completion of your pregnancy. It is too dangerous and it is not simply your life at risk but two others as well."

Charlotte's mouth dropped and she blinked stupidly before finding her voice.

"Wait...what? You can't do that?"

Furious indignation rose in Charlotte and she could feel her face grow hot. She stood, bumping into the table causing her coffee to spill. Spock started to walk away but she wasn't going to let him walk away after dropping that bombshell.

"Don't you walk away from me! You can't do that! I have a job here and occasionally I have to do it planet side."

Her voice was rising and she was about to grab Spock's arm when he flew around. His voice was low and he spoke slowly causing Charlotte to stop her tirade.

"Charlotte, it was not my decision alone but I am the one who brought it up. I agree with Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk's decision. This latest incident highlighted the inherent risks in away missions."

Disbelief at yet again her life being flipped around was causing her to start to pace. She was struggling to keep herself from hitting something. She threw up her hands and looked at Spock. His calm eyes looking into her wild ones.

"Well, pray tell me, what am I supposed to do? Right now I'm needed on Taurus VI."

She could feel her blood pressure climbing and she was shaking with fury.

"Please calm yourself, Charlotte."

He sat down at their table and steepled his fingers looking at her. She bit off the retort she was wanting to say and took a deep breath closing her eyes trying to slow her breathing. Thoughts like _My career is over _and _I could kill Spock_ kept running through her mind and she really hoped he could hear her thoughts.

Opening her eyes she could see Spock was regarding her with what she supposed was curiosity. She perched herself on a chair across from him and waited.

"I have set up the lab for you to continue your research on the fertility drugs or you may work in the sickbay organizing the relief supplies."

She could almost feel her teeth cracking as she clenched her jaw. She stood quickly and stomped away only stopping at the bathroom door to throw him a filthy look and left to get dressed for the day.

It had been a week since their fight and Charlotte had been scheduling her shift to opposite times from Spock's in a passive aggressive move. She was still mad as hell and the shifts were playing havoc with her sleeping but it did help with her nausea. She was typing up her report for the supply request when she noticed her shift was over and it was time for her obstetrics check-up.

She walked over to the main part of sickbay and looked for Dr. McCoy. He was pulling out the sonogram machine from storage and the sight if it was making her nervous. She could feel a fluttering in her stomach at the sight of the machine. Even though she knew she was pregnant, for some reason it made it more real to her.

"Need any help?" She asked.

She walked over and gave him a small smile. He just grunted as he finished pulling it into place. Once he was satisfied it was in place he gestured to the biobed for her to lie down. She situated herself on the bed and he pulled out his tricorder and began scanning her, not even looking at her.

"Are you mad at me, Bones?"

There was no expression on his face as he recorded her results and it started to make her uncomfortable.

"Dr. McCoy?"

He blew a breath out, puffing out his cheeks and put down his scanner. She sat up, frowning.

"Yes, I'm mad at you."

"What? Why?"

"Because you are acting crazy. Changing your shifts? Really?"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a look that normally sent people running. He just scoffed and pulled a chair next to her bed.

"It's helping me with my nausea and since I can't seem to go on any away missions, I figure the night shift is up my alley."

He put his hand on her arm and she just looked down at it. She didn't really trust herself to continue speaking.

"Look, you know that it's for your own good. I know that you swapped shifts because you're mad at both me and Spock. I think you need to get a visual to fully understand our reasons."

He turned and grabbed the ultrasound wand and flipped on the machine. Charlotte allowed him to lift her shirt slightly and he squirted the conductive gel on her and placed the wand on her. With his other hand he adjusted the screen so that it was visible to her and the picture was...amazing.

"Oh my god...is that...them?"

She whispered, bringing her hands to her face. She could feel tears starting to form and she hurriedly wiped them away. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight. The screen just showed two small black blobs but she knew that those were her babies.

"They are forming perfectly, good placement, no risk of placenta previa. They are measuring 6 millimeters. It's still a little too early to detect heartbeats."

He turned to look at her smiling and she grinned back through her tears. It really was amazing seeing those two little blobs.

"I see those hormones are kicking in." He said laughing.

She gave him a light punch in the arm.

"Can you print me two copies please?"

She felt that at least Spock had the right to see the pictures even if she was still mad.

"Sure."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi! Well, I hope this story is still interesting for you as the readers. If anyone has any ideas I am totally open to them. I'm thinking hearing heartbeats next chapter. I hope you like it and please remember to review and even bad ones are welcome.**

**tishbing**

Chapter Fourteen

Spock came back to their shared quarters at the end of his shift on the bridge and saw an envelope stuck to The door to his room. His curiosity peaked he pulled the paper off and opened it. He saw that it was an picture. The image looked strange but he had to look closer. He saw typed script along the bottom and realized that it was an image of the babies in utero. Two small dark circles with letters A and B next to each one and measurements denoting size.

He ran a hand across the image and could feel a sense of excitement at seeing his progeny. Charlotte must have left it as a type of peace offering for their disagreement. He held the picture tight in his hands and he wanted to let her know his thanks. Perhaps she understood his reasons for changing her duties now that she had a visual cue.

He moved to her door to try and enter. She would be waking for her shift soon and he wished to see her. Their interactions had been few and far between as of late but he considered this sign of goodwill as a positive omen. He pressed the button for admittance but found it wouldn't open. He tried a second time and still it stayed closed. Looking closer at the pad he saw that she had installed a locking mechanism. It was not standard issue and as such he could not key an override. He made a mental note to have it removed tomorrow and left to his own room.

Checking the time he placed a call to New Vulcan. He waited and soon saw his father sit in front of the screen.

"My son, I am surprised to hear from you so soon. Is everything satisfactory with you and your wife?"

Though he said surprised Spock could see he was far from it.

"I have some news for you, though you may already know. You are soon to become a sa'mekh'al. Charlotte is pregnant with my children."

Sarek's eyes widened at his last word. It was clear he had known of the pregnancy but not the full details. Spock gave a small smile and held up the ultrasound image for his father to see. Sarek leaned forward to get a better view and typed something into his computer, presumably to save the image.

"They are fraternal twins. They are a common trait in her familial line. I must admit I am happy. I experienced a feeling of happiness upon seeing this image of my children growing. Was this a similar occurrence for yourself when you knew of my existence?"

Spock waited and grew concerned when Sarek did not reply immediately. He was unsure of his reactions and if they were even an appropriate response for a Vulcan. It was possible his human half was clouding his control. Sarek shifted and frowned momentarily, clearly deep in thought.

"It is understandable. I, myself, experienced these same emotions. I was concerned for your mother that the pregnancy would be fleeting and was overjoyed when it continued without complications. There was little documentation of mixed-race vulcans so it was a constant worry. I must admit that I...enjoyed seeing Amanda grow with you. Watching you develop was a pleasant and rewarding experience."

Spock could feel the flicker of warmth from his father and was shocked when a small smile came across his father's face. Sarek's eyes softened as he continued.

"I have never seen your mother more beautiful and radiant as she was when she carried you and now you will have the chance to experience this with your own ko-telsu. There has not been a pregnancy like this before, mixed and multiples. Multiples in Vulcan pregnancies have not been seen in hundreds of years. She is at a higher risk."

Spock nodded solemnly, agreeing with his father's statement and leaned forward. Sarek noted his concern and returned his look with a quizzical frown.

"What troubles you?"

"Charlotte has been avoiding me since our recent trip to Taurus VI when we provided aid during the planet's seismic difficulties. She had been on an away mission when her area experienced an earthquake and she became injured."

Sarek's frown became one of irritation at these words rather than curiosity. His eyes darkened considerably.

"Was the pregnancy compromised or her health?"

"Not severely. The pregnancy was unaffected and she suffered a concussion and a deep cut to her leg and head. I have made it mandatory for her to remain on board. She is...displeased with my solution. She has taken to changing her shift in an attempt to avoid me."

Sarek nodded his understanding and his expression smoothed after hearing his son's solution.

"Spock, as you know, what she carries is precious to you and our culture. If she is at risk then it may be to both your benefit to relocate to New Vulcan. She will come to understand in time."

Spock shook his head. The idea of forcing her to relocate on top of her current restrictions could force a deeper rift between them.

"I believe that our current animosity will improve over time. She has shown willingness to work with me by providing me with the image of our children of her own volition. I believe it is what mother referred to as an olive branch."

"Very well. I believe that your mother would also have wished you luck. I find humans to be a fascinating species and extremely adaptable. She will accept her situation and adapt, eventually thrive in her new place in life. I found her to be logical when she understood what was at stake."

"Agreed. Thank you, father, for your reassurance. I value your input."

Sarek gave his son a final nod and signed off with a pleased expression. Spock turned and placed the sonogram picture in his drawer where it would be safe from harm and went to the common area of their quarters to wait for Charlotte to wake for her shift.

Spock had reached a light level of rest and meditation when Charlotte emerged from her room 2.75 hours later. Her hair had regained it's straight appearance but it was tousled and her eyes were puffy from sleep. He could see that there were dark circles under her eyes and she moved slowly. He remained in position, waiting for her to fully wake up before approaching her. He had learned from his past relationship with Nyota that it was best to allow the other party time to adjust to their surroundings when waking before beginning an important discussion.

She left the bathroom, fully dressed in the traditional uniform and went to the replicator. She ordered her traditional cup of coffee and muffin and he winced. It was not a suitable breakfast for a pregnant woman but he let it go. He did not wish to upset her further and he waited until she sat at their table and had taken her supplements before he rose to join her.

"Good evening Charlotte."

Her body stiffened in response and her hand jerked causing her to spill a small measure of her coffee. He had frightened her and he felt a small measure of guilt.

"I apologize if I frightened you. It was not my intention to do so."

She turned in her chair, her eyebrows drawn and her hand on her chest.

"It's ok, commander. I just didn't expect you to be awake at this time."

He inwardly flinched at her use of his title.

"Please, my adun'a, call me Spock. I wished to express my thanks for the images of our children. It was pleasant to see their development."

She grimaced at him calling her his wife but didn't say anything about it. She took another sip of her coffee and stood. She was so close to him and he wanted to hold her but he stayed still.

"No problem. I'll see you later."

She started to leave but Spock grabbed her wrist in an effort to stop her. She jerked her arm and he released it and she turned to face him.

"Look, I've got to go. My shift starts..."

"In approximately 42 minutes. I can see that you are struggling to adapt to gamma shift. If you would like I could request that you be reassigned back to alpha."

Her expression changed from one of disinterest to one of irritation. He could feel it emanating from her.

"I'm fine. I'll think about it and I can request it myself."

"I wish to see you more frequently."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and stood, crossing her arms across her chest. Seeing her in her irritated state was endearing to him. Her face was pink and he could see she had a small wrinkle on the bridge of her nose when she was thinking.

"I guess for the sake of the children, I need to establish a better working relationship with their father. I can see you after your shift. I'll get up early."

She turned to leave again and Spock's hand shot out to grasp hers for a moment. Her eyes met his and he saw uncertainty flicker.

"Thank you."

He released her hand and she left for her shift.

Charlotte heard her alarms ringing and she groaned and hit the buttons. She was so tired but she had agreed to meet Spock. Night shift was just killing her or maybe it was the pregnancy. She'd read about it causing fatigue.

She'd finally gotten dressed and ready for the day and was sat at the table dozing with her coffee when Spock walked in from his shift on the bridge. He must have skipped his usual trip to the science labs because he was "home" early. She tried to stifle a yawn as he walked over but was failing miserably and the Vulcan was watching her with something akin to concern.

"I'm fine."

She waved off his protest and gestured for him to sit. He placed himself across from her.

"Thank you for meeting with me. I appreciate you taking the time, however, if you are fatigued we can reschedule."

His hands were on the table and had started moving closer to hers but she focused on trying to see Spock in front of her, even with her eyes doing the annoying criss-crossing when she was really beat.

"No. I said I'd meet with you and I will. I'm just a little tired."

She rubbed her face and tried to focus.

"Perhaps changing your shift to coincide with mine would make such meetings easier."

"Perhaps. But that's not what we're here for. You said you wanted to spend more time with me?" She asked.

Spock moved closer to her and she could feel a slight wave of anxiety as he came near. His hands wrapped around hers and she could feel the warmth from him radiating up her arms. She felt like she could just go to sleep in the comforting presence.

"I wish to get to know the mother of my children. More than what is simply in a file."

Seems fair, she thought. She took a deep breath and started.

"What do you want to know?"

She started yawning and pulled her hands from Spock to use them as props to hold her head up. Her eyes started to drift closed as Spock was talking. His voice was a deep, constant sound and she found it strangely relaxing. She idly wondered if this was what his students had thought when he was a teacher.

She jerked up with a start when her head had finally slipped off her hands.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?" She mumbled automatically.

She looked around and had to blink a few times to fully wake up and she saw Spock still sitting across from her but he was filling out paperwork. He looked up and she swore he was laughing at her on the inside even though he he just gave her a surprised look at her less than graceful re-entry into the waking world.

"I'm so sorry. I know that was rude. I really didn't mean to fall asleep on you. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

As soon as the words left her mouth she knew she would regret them. It was too late to back down now. A smile ghosted on Spock's lips and she knew conniving when she saw it.

"I have tomorrow's shift off. Perhaps you could join me after your shift for a meal in the mess hall and perhaps a walk after? This way we could talk."

She smiled. If that was all he wanted, she could work with that.

"Alright. I'll see you soon."

She left for her shift which was due to start soon and she was still tired. She'd only had a small sip if coffee before she'd fallen asleep at the table so one more cup wouldn't hurt.

Once in sickbay, she realized she had just enough time to type in her request and as it popped out of the replicator.

"Evening Charlotte."

A deep voice behind her caused her to jump and slosh her coffee over her hands, burning them a little. She hissed in discomfort and turned to see Dr. McCoy stood behind her.

"You know what? You're as bad as Spock, sometimes. You two need bells put around your necks."

She flicked the moisture off her hand and put down her mug. She started to wipe the mess up and could still feel McCoy's presence next to her.

"Is something wrong, doctor? You're normally long gone before gamma shift."

She looked around the corner to see if M'Benga was there and was unsurprised to see that he was absent.

"Charlie, I haven't seen you in a while and neither has Chris. I figured this was the best way to catch you."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and moved to the main area of sickbay to the nurses station. He knew she hated that nickname. She sat and scrolled through the information to see if there was anyone still listed as a patient that could keep her busy. There wasn't.

"Charlotte, I know you're mad but this is ridiculous. Christine is driving me nuts without you to balance her."

She finished her review of the data and leaned back in the chair. McCoy was leaning against her computer console, forcing her to have to look up at him.

"I swapped shifts with Nurse Baker. I don't think she'd be too pleased with returning to gamma shift."

She hit a few buttons on the console with a little more force than necessary.

"I wouldn't mind."

Jenni Baker came around the corner, smiling. Her bright red hair pulled up and she was holding a bunch of Petri dishes. Charlotte scowled at Leonard, knowing this was his doing.

"I prefer gamma shift because I can focus on my lab work. Also..."

Her face blushed a bright red and her eyes darted around before she continued. Charlotte leaned forward in interest.

"That new lieutenant, Anella Toloun, works nights in the science labs. I like working with her."

Real subtle Jenni. McCoy's jaw dropped in surprise at Jenni's confession and the red head just looked down, clearly embarrassed and quickly left. Well, who was she to interfere with love. She gave a short laugh at the doctor who was still looking after Jenni's retreating form with a bewildered expression on his face.

"Isn't Anella that betazoid girl?"

Charlotte nodded her head, waiting for him to put the puzzle together.

"And that would mean..."

"Yes, doctor. That's their business though."

He quickly shook his head in disbelief. It's funny that despite all their advances in technology and all the new species and cultures that they meet every day that something like this would still surprise some people.

"So, you're going back on alpha?" He asked leaning down, giving her a big grin, much like one of the captain's when he knew he'd won an argument.

"Looks like it. Since I'm off tomorrow then I'll see you day after."

He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and left, leaving Charlotte to check inventory lists.

She reread the third line and realized that she had read it twice before and it had just not sunk in. She gave herself a little shake and started again. Charlotte typed in her numbers when a shadow came across her screen and a familiar itching at the back of her mind let her know who it was.

"Hello Spock. I'm just finishing here."

_"You are finished t'hy'la. It is an hour past your shift."_

His voice came through in her head loud and clear. She really wasn't comfortable with that. She scrunched her face up in irritation and continued her work, refusing to look up.

"Please don't do that and my shift is done when my work is done."

She stabbed at the computer and was sending her report to the charge nurse for alpha. No sooner had she hit the send button did her screen go black. A wave of anger hit her.

"What? Damn computer went out on me."

She hit at the screen and moved to the next one when Spock stepped in front of her. She moved to step around him and he shifted his stance.

"As much as I'd love to do this all day, I've just got one more report to finish."

She tried to go around him again and by this time she was getting annoyed. His hands shot out and held her upper arms. She quickly stopped her attempts to get at the remaining functioning computer and focused on Spock.

"Charlotte, your shift is over. It is time for us to have our time together. I disabled the first computer to get your attention and will disable each subsequent computer that you will try to use if you do not come with me now."

"Seriously?"

She looked at him with doubt but she could feel a smug feeling coming from Spock. It was really funny, the lengths he would go to and she found herself laughing.

"Alright, alright."

She put her hands up in agreement and he released her, gesturing to the exit.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello! I haven't heard a lot lately so, any ideas for in improvement? Is there something somebody may want to see? How crazy do you want Spock to get or should things mellow out? It's up to you. I am happy either planning have two twists plot bunnies that will be cropping up but I want to hear from you! Feel free to PM me if you want it anonymous from other readers. I love hearing from you guys. Thank you!**

**tishbing**

Chapter Fifteen

Charlotte walked slowly next to Spock, his pace slow to make it easier for her to keep up. They arrived in the mess hall and he gestured to a small table in the back, indicating for her to sit. He waited for her to lower herself into her seat before he went to the replicator and ordered her a vegetarian spaghetti dish and a small bowl of fruit with a glass of juice. His mother had complained of the difficulties of eating meat while pregnant with him and he was unsure if it would be the same for Charlotte.

He returned with her food and a cup of tea for himself.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

She frowned at him and picked up a fork to start eating.

"I do not require nourishment at this time. I ate before I met with you while I was waiting."

Her face blushed slightly but she didn't say anything as she continued to eat. He sipped his tea and waited until she had finished her food. She only ate half of what he brought and he noticed a slight vibration under the table. He looked underneath and noticed her foot was jiggling. He had seen the captain do this before and deduced it was a nervous gesture. Her tapping stopped and he sat up straight.

"Sorry. Bad habit. So...what did you want to talk about?"

"I believe a more private location would aid in helping you to be more comfortable."

He stood and offered her his hand, hoping she would take it but she waved off his assistance and again walked next to him. They moved through the ship, occasionally seeing other crew members and greeting them as they moved. Spock could feel his heart rate increase slightly as they neared their destination. It was a place Spock had frequented and it was relaxing to him. He hoped she would enjoy it as much as he.

"Observation deck?" She asked.

"Yes. I have reserved one for our use so that we may talk in a suitable setting."

He keyed in his code and waited for Charlotte to enter first. She did, but not before giving Spock a puzzled frown. The room had one side lined with a window, the stars streaking by, a blur of color giving the room a steady shower of streaking lights. This particular room was typically used for meditation purposes so it did not have a couch or chairs, only two cushioned mats and a few blankets neatly folded on the side. Charlotte placed herself on one and pulled her hair out of it's ponytail, letting the blonde locks fall down her back, the light shining off them. Spock moved to sit next to her.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

Her face was pale from tiredness and her eyes were a bright blue as she looked at him intently. He itched to touch her.

"I wish to know more about the woman to whom I am betrothed, who is having my children."

Her eyes narrowed and she gave him a steely gaze.

"I told you before and I'm telling you now, I am not your wife. I don't care what anyone says. Yes, I am having children and you happen to be the father of said children but that doesn't mean we're married."

Spock gave a slow sigh as he listened to her speech. Her anger was hitting at his defenses causing him to hastily have to build up his barriers. Her face was flushed with color but she didn't move from her spot. Centering his thoughts, he continued.

"Your continued denial of this fact is illogical. However, I will...as you say...choose to ignore what you just said and move on to the reason for my requesting this meeting. I wish to know more about you."

She rolled her eyes in irritation and squared her shoulders but did not leave and this was encouraging. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm herself. He was impressed. Through their link and close proximity he could sense her irritation waning and calming waves starting to radiate from her. He waited patiently until she had regained her composure.

"What do you want to know?"

Spock moved closer, he could smell her shampoo, apple blossoms. It was a pleasant smell.

"I believe we could communicate more effectively by joining our minds in a mind meld."

He moved his hand to initiate the meld but Charlotte raised her hand to stop him. He was intrigued. It was a more efficient way for a husband and wife to communicate. He hadn't been able to join with her in some time and was beginning to feel difficulties as Charlotte had only been doing minimal acknowledgement of their connection.

"I don't think so. Call me old fashioned but I prefer to talk."

"Very well. Please tell me about yourself. Your past experiences, family, what you enjoy doing."

Charlotte tilted her head, puzzled.

"As long as you tell me about yourself."

Spock was not comfortable with talking about himself but he considered her proposal. However, she would have learned about him in a mind meld but speaking it made it seem more real, even though there was no difference.

"Agreed."

Charlotte gave a small smile and nodded.

"Well, as you probably know, I'm from Seattle. I had a sister, Molly. She died on the Farragut when Nero attacked. She was my best friend. When I used to dance, she would accompany me on the piano. She was...really talented."

Charlotte's eyes started tearing up as she continued to speak. The pain intensifying before she was forced to change the subject. Large tears started streaming down her cheeks. He had not anticipated her pain but she continued.

"Uhm...I love my job. Seeing new things, helping people. It's amazing."

She wiped her face and looked away, out at the stars. Her pain was building on the memory of her sister. It was a deep ache that mirrored his own when he thought of all he had lost that day. Spock brought a hand up and gently wiped her cheek, causing her to turn at the contact.

"I apologize for upsetting you. It was not my intention."

She smiled and choked a small laugh, placing her hand over his and holding it. Her fingers were soft against his, cool like spring and as she lowered her hand he did not release it. Instead he took her other hand and held them. Her eyes looked into his and he gave a faint smile at her holding his hands. He ran his fingers over hers in a Vulcan kiss.

"I grieve with thee."

"Thank you."

He moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her and she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. They looked at the stars, together in comfortable silence before he felt her head slowly moving forward.

"Charlotte? Are you awake?"

"Mmm..."

He smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head. Charlotte shifted to a more comfortable position in his arms. Her face calm in sleep. He felt that things were progressing nicely.

"You would be more comfortable in your bed, ashayem."

"You're a good friend, Spock. Thanks." She mumbled tiredly.

His body stiffened at her words but he didn't move. His father's suggestion of relocation came floating to the forefront of his mind. Perhaps he had been correct in his assessment of his situation. He _had_ left them a ship, a wedding present for them. Perhaps he had known. Charlotte's stubbornness was becoming ridiculous. He was being patient but it was waning.

Charlotte jerked up and looked at him, fully awake.

"Wait...what?"

She scrambled to get up and away from him, pointing an accusing finger at him. Her eyes full of fire as she began to speak...loudly.

"You would do that to me? Hijack me against my will? Drag me off like some primitive caveman? How dare you!?"

Her chest was heaving and in his mind he knew that her blood pressure was rising. He could sense her heart beginning to race as she started panicking. He slowly stood across from her. She must have sensed his thoughts. He had meant to shield them but had believed she was asleep anyway. He realized then, just how deep their bond was. It was certainly stronger than the one his father had described with his mother. It was a rarity among his people and Charlotte was trying to stop it. It was foolish.

"What are you talking about? I spoke no such thing." He said calmly, not wishing to alarm her more.

"No, but you thought it! I heard it!" Her voice was almost shrill and he cringed in spite of his control.

"Only a married, bonded couple would be able to do that."

"We're not married!"

She slashed a hand through the air.

"Then you must be allowing your imagination to run away with you. As I stated before, only a married and bonded couple could hear each other's thoughts without a mind meld. Therefore, if you heard my thoughts, we are married and bonded. If not, because I did not speak of "dragging you off like a caveman" then it must be your imagination coming up with this thought."

He gave a slight smile and tilted his head. he could hear her thoughts spinning around as she struggled to fight his logic. It was impressive how many arguments went on in her mind. Her face scrunched up in irritation and she crossed her arms, flipping her hair behind her.

"I'm going to bed."

She started to walk off and Spock followed, next to her. He focused on sending her calming thoughts.

_"You need to calm yourself. You are putting your health at risk."_

She twitched and stopped walking, whirling to face him.

_"Dammit! Stop getting in my head."_

And she turned and left Spock standing in the corridor. A small ripple of excitement ran through him at the realization that she had not spoken to him verbally. Though combative, he had been successful in getting her to acknowledge their bond with more than simply saying it but by using it. He gave a satisfied smirk before following her retreating form.

By the time he'd arrived at their quarters she had gone to her room and he went to see her but her door was shut, a new locking mechanism had been slapped on in the time it had taken him to get there. He raised his eyebrows in surprise at her resourcefulness. He moved to his room and saw a message on his computer. Opening it, he saw it was from Charlotte, informing him of her bi-weekly check-up with Dr. McCoy. He messaged her back, telling her he would be there.

Charlotte prided herself in being a master of avoidance. She had become skilled in it thanks to her first husband. Michael was constantly on her case about something, finding a reason to hit her, call her a cruel name. This was different. She just felt trapped, like there was no way out. Though he was, in his own way caring for her, it was ridiculous. She had had to replace her door lock 6 times over the next week. His excuse was "In the event of an emergency I would require access to you to be sure you were unharmed.".

She decided to talk to Chris about it. Christine had the suggestion of a sleep-over. A girl's night. Charlotte was packing her pajamas and toothbrush when Spock walked in.

_"Where are you going tonight?"_

She jerked her head, like she was trying to get rid of a fly and continued stuffing her belongings in the bag.

_"Charlotte?"_

"I'm going to a friend's place. For a break. I'll see you tomorrow at my bi-monthly check up. 8 weeks along. Remember?"

She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out.

_"Which friend are you going to?"_

_"Really? Fine. I'm going to Christine Chapel's place."_

She felt a hint of concern and irritation at her departure but she shrugged it off, looking forward to a change of scenery.

Charlotte leaned back in Christine's recliner and closed her eyes.

"You alright, Charlotte? Want to talk about it?"

Chris had her bathrobe on already and handed her a cold glass of grape juice. She lifted her head and took the drink, giving her friend a tired smile.

"Yeah, actually. I just don't know what to do with the whole Spock thing."

Chris sat on the floor and lifted her head frowning, her hair in curlers looking the ultimate girl.

"What whole Spock thing?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Are you serious? He's...like trying to control everything! He even thought about dragging me to New Vulcan!"

Chris's jaw fell open and she started shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yeah. I'm not joking. I mean..."

She suddenly felt a gentle pushing sensation in her head. She closed her eyes and focused on pushing back.

"Even now, he's bugging me. In my head, in my quarters, everywhere!"

Her voice had risen to a hysterical screech and Chris's bright eyes widened in concern.

"I'm sure he's just worried about you and is doing what any husband would do when his wife isn't at home."

"He's not my husband! God! How many times do I have to say it?"

Chris shrugged.

"That's what the papers say. I'm sorry. Have you thought about maybe being friends?" She asked timidly.

"Tried that. We had a good talk and I told him he was a good friend and then I heard him think about relocating us to New Vulcan. I think he would force me to go."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

She pulled her knees up and put her chin on them. Unsure of what her next move should be. She knew it was only a matter of time before Spock would grow impatient. She wondered if Uhura had known about it and that was why she'd broken it off, on top of other reasons.

"Charlotte, I hate to say it. Please don't hit me but maybe you should give him a chance?"

"What?"

Now it was Chris's turn to give an exaggerated eye roll.

"He's really into you. He just wants what's best for you. I've been doing some reading and from what I've read, vulcans are crazy loyal to those they're bonded to especially when their bonded mate is pregnant. It's a throwback to pre-reformed Vulcan."

Charlotte's eyes narrowed in irritation. Her friend was serious and she couldn't believe it.

"I just don't like his possessive attitude. It's creepy."

"I know but maybe he wouldn't be as possessive if you just listened?"

"Did he talk to you or are you just crazy?" She quipped.

Chris put her hands up in defense as Charlotte stood up, heat flaring up on her cheeks.

"No. I just don't get why you're fighting so much."

"Because I don't like not being in control. It's like it's the twisted opposite of Michael. Michael would be hurting me possessive and Spock is loving possessive. I just can't get a normal guy."

Chris just shrugged her shoulders, saying it all with that movement. Men.

The next day, after her shift she waited for Doctor McCoy and her check-up. Spock was standing next to her, fidgeting, which was surprising to her.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

Spock looked at her, his eyes sparkling with excitement as they waited.

"Nothing. I am simply curious to see our children's development."

Charlotte laughed and gave Spock a playful shove.

"You're excited. Don't deny it!"

"I choose to remain silent."

Just then Dr. McCoy came up and beckoned them over to a private room. Charlotte laid down on the biobed while Dr. McCoy ran his scans.

"I know I see you every day but how are you feeling?"

Charlotte smiled at him. He really was a good doctor.

"Fine. No problems."

"Good."

He typed in the data and pulled the ultrasound machine over.

"You two ready for the show?"

They both nodded and Charlotte lifted her shirt carefully and lowered her bottoms a little so Dr. McCoy could get better access. She could feel Spock stiffen next to her as McCoy started touching her belly and placed the wand on her.

"Relax Spock. This is standard for human prenatal care. We generally touch our patients." McCoy snapped.

Instantly the screen came up with a fuzzy image which quickly stabilized. Two dots came up and McCoy focused on one, expanding the screen and turning on the volume. A rapid thumping could be heard and she could see...well, it looked weird but almost like a person. She could see arms and legs and it's head. She could hear their hearts and see them. She started grinning and could feel her own heart skip a beat.

"They are beautiful." Spock moved and took her hand.

He ran his finger over hers, ignoring the fact that McCoy was still in the room. He focused on transmitting his love to her over their link. She gasped in surprise as it hit her without warning and she pulled her hand away.

"This is baby A. Measuring 1.7 cm and has a beautiful heart rate of 150 beats per minute."

He saved the image and set two copies to print and then moved to the other.

"Here's baby B. A little smaller. 1.6 cm and a heart rate of 151 beats per minute."

He handed them the images, a grin on his face too. He waited politely while Charlotte pulled herself up and straightened her shirt. Spock helped her up.

He printed off both the image of baby B and a group image of them. He handed all the labeled pictures to Charlotte and she separated Spock's copies. She looked at the images, her mind swirling. She could still hear the fast little flutters of their hearts in her thoughts.

"Charlotte, everything looks perfect. Your morning sickness should subside within a month or so. Your blood pressure is a little high so I want to keep an eye on that but you might want to try meditation or relaxation techniques."

He put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze before he left. Spock was still standing next to her and she turned, handing him his copies. His fingers brushed against hers as he took the images.

"My adun'a. They are beautiful. I am so proud."

She could feel it from him too and his brown eyes shone with pride and it melted her heart, just a little. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling but she couldn't help it. The sight and sound of those two little lives was exciting.

"Thanks."

She pulled herself down and started walking back to her quarters with the Vulcan next to her. What Chris had said was going through her mind. She looked to him and thought about it. He hadn't hurt her, per se. Made her mad, invaded her privacy and generally was a pain in the butt but he did care for her.

Once in their quarters, Charlotte stretched and just wanted a quick nap before dinner. Spock came up behind her and touched her shoulder.

"Yes?"

His stance shifted and she made a rolling motion with her hand to encourage him to speak.

"I wish to inform the rest of the crew about the pregnancy. I believe that they would be pleased for us and they will find out. I am surprised it has stayed quiet for this long."

Charlotte groaned at the thought of people knowing. It would solidify the image of husband and wife and people always acted different when they knew there was a pregnant woman. However, she thought about how much longer she could keep it under wraps. Not much longer.

"I guess I don't have much choice in the matter, do I?" She moaned.

"No. You do not."


	16. Chapter 16

**Ok! Thank you for the reviews and I totally agree! The ideas are great! Thank you so much! Sorry. Too many exclamation points. Ok, here we go. It'll get interesting on Earth but here's a basis for it. Sorry for the short chapter but I wanted to incorporate Charlotte to start to get over her issues. I hope you like it! Comments, ideas? They're always welcome!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Sixteen

Spock made his way to the bridge and was surprised to encounter Nyota, who fell in step next to him. She gave him a brief smile by way of greeting.

"So, Spock, how's it going with Charlotte?"

She gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He wondered if their separation still caused her discomfort. She had been supportive of him pursuing other relationships and from what she had told him, she was currently engaged in one with Mr. Scott.

"Charlotte is...making things difficult. I find that I am beginning to struggle with my control around her."

Uhura's brows drew together in concern and she slowed her pace forcing Spock to slow as well.

"Does she really not accept what has happened?"

"I believe she is in denial. I think that the fact that she is pregnant is also compounding the situation."

Uhura stopped and grabbed Spock's arms. Her mouth was open and her eyes lit up.

"Oh, Spock! You're going to have a baby!"

"Two actually."

She actually looked happy for him, her eyes lighting up as she pulled him into a tight hug. Spock stayed stiff in her grip, only patting her awkwardly. Uhura was never one to show extreme displays of emotion and that was what had attracted him to her. He supposed that Lieutenant Commander Scott had started to influence her. She must have sensed his discomfort and released him, stepping back but still smiling.

"Oh, Spock. Twins! Wow."

Spock started walking again and she walked with him.

"Yes. I must admit my reluctance at sharing this with you. I was concerned about upsetting you."

She waved a hand.

"Spock, despite what you may think I am happy for you. Scotty and I are happy together. I miss what we had but I'm happier now. He's fun."

She paused, her face becoming serious.

"Maybe a trip together might help you two? We're actually going to be heading back to Earth in a week for some new communications equipment."

Spock nodded his head, thinking. Uhura made a good point and he decided that shore leave for the both of them would be a good idea. A familiar environment may help. He decided to speak to her after their shift and once on the bridge, he requested the leave for them both.

Returning to their quarters, he saw that they were empty. He moved to go to the sickbay and to his frustration she was not there either.

"Computer. Location of Charlotte Jones."

_"Ensign Jones is located in the mess hall." _

He almost growled in irritation but he made his way to the mess hall and he looked around to find her. She was sitting with Lt. Giotto from security. He watched for a moment and saw her throw her head back in laughter, her hand touching his arm. His vision started to turn red at the sight and he made his way towards the table, taking calming breaths so he would not strangle the security chief.

"Mr. Giotto. I would appreciate it if you would leave my wife so that we may have a discussion in private."

Though his tone was even, it was clipped and carried a threat. Charlotte's eyes were wide, almost fearful and the burly lieutenant moved away as though he had been electrocuted.

"Yessir."

Spock noted with satisfaction how quickly he left. He rounded on the small blonde, keeping himself in check he grabbed her wrist and gently but forcefully pulled her after him. His heart had begun to pound in his chest. The sight of her with him caused a pounding in his ears. He didn't release her until they had entered their quarters. She may have been protesting but he didn't hear her.

He spun around to face her, his control was slipping and he knew it. Charlotte stood there, looking so small but her eyes were full of fire and as she opened her mouth to protest he knew he had to talk first.

"Am I such an inadequate mate that you would do this to me? Do you hate me so much that you would risk our bond to become unstable, killing both of us?"

His voice was feral and he grabbed her wrists, moving close to her to where she backed against the wall. Her thoughts began pouring into him through their link and his touch. She was attracted to him, she was denying it through fear. Her memories of the night when they had been interrupted were prominent in her thoughts, her conversation with Christine about considering giving in filtered through.

She tried to shove him off of her but his grip only tightened and he sent his own memories of their night through their link. The feel of her soft skin, his arousal as he smelled her, the sight of her naked under him as he claimed her for his own. She gasped at the onslaught of the images, it causing her to feel his intense desire. He could feel her excitement beginning to stir and he moved in, brushing his lips against her neck near her shoulder.

"I know what you think. What you feel." He growled softly into her as he kissed her neck and felt her shiver under him.

He slowly released her and stepped back, waiting. Her face was flushed and her hands were shaking but he knew it was not due to fear. Her legs were trembling and he gave a small smirk at the sight.

"Uh...uh..."

"Do not lie to me." He warned.

Her eyes flitted around, her hair falling out of it's bun and framing her face and her uniform was wrinkled from their contact.

"I do like you. I do find you attractive but it scares me. I'm just scared of it." She finished lamely.

"What scares you? The possibility of happiness? Of love? You are my _wife_! My patience and control is failing me."

Charlotte looked around before meeting his eyes. Her face scrunched up in thought, the small wrinkle that Spock found endearing appeared on her nose.

"Of not being in control." She whispered.

"You are not in control and neither am I. Is it so terrible?"

He moved to her, her lips parting in surprise as he wrapped an arm around her and brought her to him. He moved quickly pressing his lips to hers in a deep kiss, he ran his tongue across her lips and she opened her mouth allowing him to deepen the kiss. He poured all of his passion into it, tasting her, claiming her and he held her tightly.

He pulled back, slowly and looked at her eyes, bright blue pools that pierced into him and though he wanted more, he would wait.

"Maybe not." She mumbled when she finally caught her breath.

He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and guided her to their couch. She sat next to him and he didn't remove his hand from her back. She shifted in her seat, her lips were swollen from their kiss. He was pleased at the thoughts he could sense emanating from her.

"Charlotte, what were you doing with the lieutenant?"

"We were just having a meal together. He'd dislocated his shoulder earlier because of some stupid dare. I was in no way interested. My god, Spock! Going out with someone while I'm pregnant with another man's children! That's beyond low."

He loosened his grip on her and pulled her close. He knew she was telling the truth and he felt relief at hearing her say it out loud. He decided to share some of himself.

"Charlotte, is your fear due to my heritage?"

She shook her head negative.

"You have been against this from day one. I do not understand. I believed that as a human, you would accept me for who I am. From a young age I was not accepted. My betrothed, T'Pring, that I was bonded to during my kan-telan was openly opposed to me. I believe that she would have seen me die rather than join me in a marriage bond. She did not survive the destruction of Vulcan. You were compassionate enough to join with me to save me and for that alone, I love you."

Charlotte's heart clenched at hearing this. She didn't realize that he had been rejected like that and here she had been doing the same thing to him. Acting like an impudent child. His eyes were full of pain at the memory of T'Pring berating him for his mixed blood, insinuating that he was less than Vulcan and not worth her. It flowed into her mind. Their bond deepened as he tightened his grip at the power of the memories.

His hand moved from her back to her face and she held still, not even breathing as he placed his fingers on the meld points, throwing her into his memory.

_A small boy with upswept brows was next to a little girl. His eyes were wide with fear as they walked along a long corridor. They were following an older female vulcan. His grandmother, T'Pau, who was to join them in a child bond. The young girl turned to him and gave a slight sneer. Spock could see she was displeased._

_Her hand snaked out and grabbed him, causing him to stop. She said nothing until the elder was out of hearing range._

_"Spock, I must protest this. You are a half-blood. Not a true vulcan. It is a repugnant idea to be betrothed to you. When your time comes, I will not allow it."_

_She hissed the last words, her small face screwing up in anger before it suddenly went smooth again, as though she had said nothing. She moved away at a quick pace, leaving Spock standing there. He wondered if anyone would ever accept him._

Spock pulled them out of the memory and waited for Charlotte to collect herself. There were tear tracks running down her face as she struggled with the emotional transference from the meld. He brushed the back of his hand down her cheek to smooth away her tears. She looked at him with understanding dawning.

"I'm so sorry."

"It is in the past. I would suggest we look to the future."

Charlotte could feel her heart ache at the constant rejection. She wondered how anyone could be so cold and then she remembered her treatment of him. She stared at her feet as she thought of how many times she had shot him down. She thought back to the observation deck and though he had overreacted with the thoughts of forcing her to relocate but it had been a passing thought born of desperation. He needed her to accept him.

"Alright. But we take it slow."

Spock nodded his understanding.

"And no kidnapping to New Vulcan!"

She pointed a finger at him but wasn't serious. She hoped he understood an attempt at humor. His lips turned up slightly and he gave a small sigh. He apparently did.

The next morning he had her coffee and traditional muffin waiting for her as she stumbled out of her room. Her face a distinct green color as she quickly ran into the bathroom. He was hoping her sickness would not last for the duration of the pregnancy. He could feel her discomfort and he waited while she cleaned up in the restroom and administered her medications. She slowly walked to the table where he was waiting for her and sat down.

"Good morning."

She mumbled a greeting before starting to nibble at the muffin. He sipped his tea and waited for her to fully wake and for her to stop feeling ill. He knew when she did because she would be able to tolerate her coffee.

"I have scheduled a joint shore leave for us. The Enterprise is on it's way to Earth for communications upgrades and shore leave. I believe that it would be beneficial for us to spend the time together."

Her expression was one of surprise. It was not fully pleasant surprise but it was not altogether negative.

"Oh. Well, ok. I guess it'd be nice to get off the ship for a while."

Spock gave a satisfied nod. If he was to tell the truth, he would have had to admit that he was unsure as to how she would have responded. He was expecting a negative response but she gave him a small smile. It was a step in the correct direction.

He stood to leave and placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning down and giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you. I will see you for dinner tonight."

Charlotte watched him leave for his shift and sat thinking about last night. He had exposed a part of himself to her. A part that caused him pain and embarrassment. She felt guilty for doing the same thing to him. Though she was a little justified, he had been nothing but kind to her in his own irritating way. She hated to admit it but maybe she could grow to care for him as much as he does for her. It wasn't impossible.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi to everyone! Thank you so much for the kind words of support. I get my results on Monday but I think it's ok. The doctor's didn't have the look to suggest anything was amiss so I'm thinking I just have lumpy breasts. Anyway, I'm not sure about this chapter. It's a lot of fluff so I hope it's ok. I figured I'd build on their relationship and the excitement will happen in the next chapter. I just couldn't fit it in this one.**

**Thank you,**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Seventeen

Charlotte ran, music blasting in her ears from her personal player, the treadmill keeping her pace constant. Her uniform had been getting a little snug forcing her to have to request the pants and looser shirt. It was frustrating because she just looked like she was getting a spare tire but she didn't know which was worse, the crew treating her like an invalid because they knew about the babies or those thinking she was too fat. She just didn't think that she'd have to be altering her uniform at only 11 weeks along. Although, she realized she was carrying two instead of one and since she was small it was really noticeable.

She turned up the treadmill to increase her speed and as she was hitting the bliss of numbness the power started failing, slowing the belt. She slowed with it and hit at the buttons but wasn't getting a response. Turning off her music she stepped off the machine and looked around it to see what was happening.

"You have been running for 30 minutes. It is time you rested."

She turned to see Spock standing directly behind her with his arms crossed and a slight frown on his face.

"As long as my heart rate doesn't go too high and I'm not in pain, it's fine. It's actually good for me."

She grabbed her towel and dabbed at her neck.

"In moderation, Charlotte. I noticed you missed lunch this afternoon. This is unacceptable." He growled.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at Spock and noticed the tips of his ears were green and his nostrils flared slightly. She could tell he was upset but he did look a little funny and immediately an image of a small boy with pointed ears came into her mind. The child was stomping a foot and storming away and it brought a smile to her face.

"You know you're cute when you're mad."

Her smile widened and she started to walk away only to be stopped by a voice in her head. It was loud enough to make her think of shouting.

"Your attempts at distraction are futile at best. You WILL listen to me."

Charlotte spun around and threw her hands up in a gesture of frustration.

"Spock, is this how you're going to talk to the children? Because believe me, they will frustrate you and for the record, I did eat today. It was just not with you. I had to finish compiling reports in the lab. I ate while I worked. You have to learn to trust me."

It was a good thing that Spock was a vulcan. He hid his embarrassment well. He moved towards her, his eyes full of regret and Charlotte closed the distance.

"Ashayem, I..."

She put up a hand.

"It's ok. Everyone's entitled to a lost temper once in a while and I guess in a way you're doing it because you care."

She gave him a small smile and gestured to the exit, an invitation for him to join her. For the past couple of days she'd been trying to understand him, peppering him with questions about himself. He wasn't one for small talk and his answers were typically generalized but she could see that there was more under the surface. She was curious about him and his past. It frustrated her that the only times he had really opened himself up was in times of distress.

"It's about time for dinner anyway. You can join me if you want."

"That would be agreeable to me."

She just rolled her eyes and started walking.

"You could just say yes."

He gave her a slight look of amusement, laughter in his eyes as he started walking alongside her.

"Yes, Charlotte."

The mess hall was packed, almost all the tables were occupied by chatting and laughing crewmembers and Charlotte struggled to find an empty table for them. She was about to give up when she heard somebody shout her name. Looking across the room she spotted the captain apparently by himself. She looked back to Spock, silently asking his opinion. When he gave a curt nod shifted her tray and made a bee line for the table.

"Hello, Captain."

"Jim." He corrected.

Charlotte gave a slight flinch. It really didn't make her more comfortable calling him by his first name but if it made him happy...

"Alright, Jim. And how are you?"

"I'm good. Looking forward to getting back to Earth tomorrow morning. I've got a couple of meetings and then I'm going to head back to Iowa to visit my mom."

Charlotte's eyebrows went up in faint surprise. As far as she had known, the young captain was a work hard, play hard kind of guy. Going home to mom just didn't seem like him. He seemed to read her mind and he gave a little chuckle and leaned forward.

"Yeah, I know. It's just that my mom and I never really got along too great but after Nero we've been trying to rebuild a relationship. I think that it gave her closure and also helped her realize that family is important."

Charlotte started eating her chicken and it just didn't taste right. It almost tasted like the meat had gone off. Scrunching her face in disgust she used a napkin to dispose of it as privately as possible and quickly drank her juice. Spock was watching her and she blushed with embarrassment. She hoped it didn't reflect badly that she had basically spat out her food.

"Everything alright with your chicken?" Kirk asked.

"Just tastes funny."

She moved onto her potatoes and mixed vegetables. Spock gave her a slight smile.

"I believe it is the pregnancy affecting your ability to eat meat. Some vulcans, such as myself, are not able to tolerate meat due to becoming vegetarians thousands of years ago."

Kirk groaned in sympathy.

"Guess that means no bar-b-ques for you. So, what are you two planning to do when we get to Earth?"

Charlotte thought about it. She had been wanting to get out and enjoy being planet side again and get a break from technology, unless it's a temperature controlled hotel room on the beach. It had been years since she had visited Hawaii and the thought of laying out on the beach was a pleasant thought. Spock hadn't talked about their plans so she shrugged.

"We will be staying in San Francisco at the Vulcan Compound. Once there, Charlotte will be seen to by a Vulcan healer. We will spend the time allowing ourselves to become better acquainted."

Her head snapped around to meet Spock's steady gaze. That had not been in her plans. Her eyes narrowed but she swallowed back her retort, instead aiming her response back at the captain.

"We'll see. Definite plans haven't been made yet." She said quietly.

Apparently Spock didn't take her hint.

"The arrangements have been made, Charlotte." He said pointedly.

Kirk shifted in his seat, clearly sensing the tension rise. Charlotte, meanwhile, was trying her best to remain calm. She was again irritated at her choices being dictated by Spock. He truly had a gift for getting under her skin.

_"What troubles you, ashayem?"_

Though she hated talking to him through their link, she wanted to preserve some dignity and focused on her reply.

_"I will talk to you later about it."_

Kirk gave the couple a smile and attempted to change the subject.

"How are the babies doing? The crew are starting to put a pool together to guess the genders."

Charlotte latched onto the topic with gusto and talked to him about the more pleasant aspects of the pregnancy. She started relax in general lull of the conversation and had to stifle a yawn before the young man left them alone.

They went back to their room before Charlotte remembered the earlier conversation.

"Spock, we need to talk."

The vulcan moved to the couch and gracefully sat down, his hands came together and he took a deep breath, as if preparing for a battle. The sight was unnerving to Charlotte and she sat next to him timidly.

"I don't want to go to your compound. I am not vulcan nor do I need to see a healer. Dr. McCoy and M'Benga are doing a great job."

His eyes became dark and he placed a hand on her arm, squeezing gently as he spoke.

"You may not be vulcan, but the children you carry are part vulcan and as such they may need specialized care. If the healer deems it necessary then she will take over your care. You are also a vulcan citizen and married to the son of the ambassador to Earth. Where would you have us stay?"

Though she still internally flinched at the word married she remained calm, latching onto the opening Spock gave her.

"I was hoping to relax and enjoy shore leave, not be poked and prodded by curious vulcans. I want to do something fun. Maybe this way you could get to know me better, rather than being locked away in some compound."

Spock stood abruptly, taking Charlotte by surprise and went into his room. She thought that he was ending the discussion but he came out of his room holding a package wrapped in delicate silk cloth, a golden bow on top. It was easily the most beautiful looking gift Charlotte had ever seen. Her surprise went further when he handed the gift to her. She carefully took the package and looked up at Spock, unsure of what to do.

"Generally, it is expected for someone who receives a gift to open it."

Spock waited expectantly while Charlotte slowly untied the golden ribbon and pulled the cloth. She opened the box and gasped as she pulled out a dress. It was a light purple, the same shade as the flowers from when they were on Zeti-6. The fabric was light and rippled over her hands reminding her of water. It was high necked, sleeveless Vulcan design with a small pattern of darker flowers along the a-line design at the bottom. It was beautiful.

"Spock, I don't know what to say. It's beautiful."

He kneeled in front of her and placed his hands on hers as she held the dress. Through his contact she could feel his happiness that the gift was received well. He rubbed his fingers along hers causing a warm, tingling sensation to move up her arm. She started to blush at the contact, knowing what he was doing.

"You are very good at distractions." She mumbled.

"I have been told this."

His voice was low, causing her breath to hitch.

"I wish for you to wear this tomorrow, when you meet the matriarch of my clan, T'Pau. She will be at the compound and be expecting us."

Charlotte looked at the dress and bit her lip, she thought hard before coming up with what she hoped was a solution.

"A compromise." She said quickly.

Spock pulled his hand away, almost as if she'd burned him. His brows came down and she could feel that she had upset him but if he wanted marriage then he had to understand that it was give and take.

"What do you mean?"

"I will stay with you at the compound if and only if we visit the city every day for at least a couple of hours."

"Very well. That is agreeable."

Charlotte beamed and was willing to give him a peck on the cheek.

The next day came and both he and Charlotte had packed and were waiting in the transporter room. He looked towards his adun'a with pride as she stood next to him in the dress he had chosen. He could just barely see a hint of his children growing on her lower abdomen and it made him realize how fortunate he was. Spock had spent the morning explaining to Charlotte the customs when dealing with T'Pau. He had been surprised that she had understood so quickly but Charlotte had explained that it was mostly common sense. When dealing with humans Spock had never seen what Charlotte had deemed as common sense.

Finally arriving at Starfleet Headquarters he stepped off the transporter pad behind Charlotte, making sure she was at all times within arm's reach. She was making it difficult and reminded him of an energetic child as she rushed through the building to get outside, her face was glowing with the anticipation of feeling the spring sunshine and he could feel her excitement bubbling over. The halls were crowded with officers as she weaved through them with a dancer's grace, her bag swinging on her shoulder and her golden hair flowing behind her.

Once outside the double doors, Charlotte stopped dead. A feeling of tension rippled through her and Spock could not see what was troubling her. He was still a ways behind her and had not yet reached outside. It became apparent once he reached her. A pair of large black vehicles were parked in front with the Vulcan IDIC symbol on them. Several larger vulcan males in stiff uniforms were in front and rapidly moving towards Charlotte. He could sense her becoming panicked as the flanked her and ushered her into the cars, her face full of confusion and Spock rapidly followed.

The men never touched her, using their size to intimidate her. Spock had seen the display and came up as she was placed in the first vehicle. He went to follow to reassure his mate that she was safe but the door was closed and locked before he could enter.

"Spock."

He whirled around, to see an older vulcan woman, her maroon robes long and elegant, gold trimming around the sleeves with her black hair intricately tied up in a knot. Her face emotionless as she raised her hand in the traditional ta'al to greet him. Spock's hand returned the gesture but his eyes flickered to the car that Charlotte was in.

"Live long and prosper, ko'mekh-il."

"Peace and long life. I wished to speak with thee alone before meeting thy bond-mate."

Spock could feel Charlotte's anxiety but it had calmed somewhat and he sent her reassurance through their link before the car started to leave without him. T'Pau gestured to the second car and Spock climbed in and the older woman followed.

"What do you wish to know?"

T'Pau's eyes looked at him sharply, a shrewd calculating look that put Spock on edge, making him think of how one would view an interesting specimen under a microscope. He returned her gaze with a calm look but it was difficult with the knowledge that his Charlotte was not with him.

"I sense that thee are concerned. Thy bond-mate is unharmed."

Spock's shoulders relaxed a fraction but he was still tense.

"What is it you wished to know?" He repeated.

The interior of the car was rife with tension as T'Pau continued to survey him but soon the aged elder seemed to relax. Her posture becoming less stiff as time wore on. This was something that Spock had never seen so he remained formal.

"The rumors of your joining are disturbing. Some worse than others. I wish to see for myself."

T'Pau's sudden change from formal speech to standard took him by surprise. His eyes flicked to her to ascertain if she was ill. She looked in perfect health. Her face was still smooth apart from a few lines of tension around her eyes.

"Yes. Some may be true. I was deep in the blood fever when we joined. I...regret to say that she...may have not fully understood the ramifications of assisting me through my time but there was no other alternative. I regret to say that she did not respond well to the realization of the bond."

T'Pau nodded her head slowly, thinking and Spock continued.

"The pregnancy is helping to strengthen our relationship, forcing her to accept the connection between us and I have explained the risks of denying the bond with her. She is willing to acknowledge what we have but she is...combative and resistant."

Spock glanced outside the car, this hills of San Francisco moving by at a blur as they left the city and headed to Sausalito and the view of a large estate becoming larger as they approached. The building was large, a three story white structure set into the hills overlooking San Francisco Bay. Spock could see that security had been increased since his stay shortly after the Narada incident. There was now a security checkpoint at the main gate, scanning all vehicles entering and leaving the grounds and there were more cameras than Spock remembered.

"Why is there such high security?"

T'Pau gave a sigh causing Spock to pull his eyes from the exterior and focus on her. Her behavior was erratic, different from when he had seen her last.

"T'Sai, you are behaving differently from what I remember. Are you well?"

Her gaze moved over him and Spock could see a softening of her eyes at his statement of concern, her lips twitched in slight amusement.

"Spock-kam, since the loss of our home world, a great many changes have occurred. Our people have been forced to accept the ideas of the IDIC in more ways than one. We have come to be a more liberal people, more accepting of other people and customs. Perhaps this tragedy has made our people stronger. The bonds between our people and the Federation have grown stronger, more importantly, the bonds between humans and vulcans has become almost unbreakable."

The car pulled up and they started to disembark. T'Pau leading the way, her robes flowing behind her through a pair of large oak double doors. The interior hall was large with vaulted cathedral style ceilings. Spock could see very few artifacts from his culture lining the walls, intricately painted pottery, hexagonal gongs, a small tapestry depicting an artist's rendition of Surak. It was disheartening to see so few reminders of his home.

They did not move up the grand staircase, instead T'Pau lead him to the right. Their shoes clicking on the polished marble floors. They passed many doors before she led him into an office. Books lined the walls, almost all of them in Vulcan but he saw a few classic earth books on one side. She placed herself gently in one of the chairs in front of the desk and indicated the one next to it. The significance of her choice was not lost on Spock. She wanted to speak to him as a family member, not as a leader.

"It would seem that some of these rumors are indeed true. That there is slight animosity between you two. This will fade in time. I can see how much you care for your adun'a. Is the feeling reciprocated? "

Spock was uncomfortable talking with a great leader like T'Pau about his personal life, even if she was family. Her expression became stern as she watched him struggle to answer.

"I know she is attracted to me. She is concerned for my health and well being. She understands that denial of our bond could cause harm. I do not believe that there is love, yet."

T'Pau nodded her understanding and stepped to the replicator, ordering two cups of tea. She handed one steaming cup to Spock and held the other herself. Spock sipped the scalding, bitter liquid to fill the silence and waited.

"The bond is strong between you. Love will come. She may love you now but not realize it. I often saw your mother struggle with recognizing her emotions even though she was human. She loved your father dearly but would not admit it to herself for some time."

The knowledge of T'Pau having a deeper understanding of his mother surprised him. He had always been led to believe that his mother had been shunned. Perhaps she had been on the surface but had been accepted if one dug deeper into the relationship.

"Your adun'a will be returning shortly after her visit with one of our healers. I would advise caution if you both choose to leave the compound. The news of your difficult joining reached Earth and there are some who are against it."

"I understand. I wish to see Charlotte."

T'Pau stood and walked to the door while Spock followed. Moving through the maze of corridors they eventually arrived at the medical bay. It was a standard room with three biobeds and medical equipment along one wall. The walls were a clean white as was the floor. He could see Charlotte laying on the bed at the end in a long white medical gown only overed by a thin white sheet. Her expression was a mixture of discomfort and anxiety. A young Vulcan woman was running a medical scanner over her and Charlotte was holding unusually still. He found the sight worrisome as he was accustomed to seeing her fidget.

Charlotte turned at the sound of their approach and gave a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. The healer saw the approach of T'Pau and Spock and moved towards them.

"Is she well?" T'Pau asked quietly.

"Yes. Both of the fetuses are healthy, her treatment regimen is adequate. My only concern is her blood pressure. It is slightly elevated. Perhaps a period of rest or a relaxing activity. I also noted that she has yet to gain any weight. It will start to affect the growth if she does not start to take in additional nutrition. This will also increase her risk of preterm labor."

T'Pau nodded and dismissed the healer, moving with Spock to meet the young woman. Spock reached her first and looked down at her, her face was pale with tension but quickly flushed pink as she pulled the blanket around herself and moved to a sitting position.

"Lady T'Pau, I apologize for meeting you this way."

Spock was pleased to note that Charlotte had paid attention. There was no waving or hand shake. The title was correctly used. This was not how he had imagined introducing her to the matriarch of his family though and T'Pau nodded, her eyes sparkling slightly as she viewed the girl in front of her.

"There is no need to apologize for something that was neither in your control or that cannot be helped. I am pleased to meet the one who has become adun'a to the heir of the house of Surak."

Charlotte bit her lip in worry but worked hard to smooth her features and wrapped the blanket tighter around her body.

"Uh...yeah. I appreciate your hospitality in letting us stay here and I look forward to getting to know you all better."

Her voice wavered in the presence of the two vulcans but she tried to give a brave smile. Spock knew she was embarrassed. To be in such a state in front of one of vulcan's leaders was an uncomfortable situation.

"Soon. Perhaps tomorrow. I will escort you to your room."

T'Pau turned but waited for Charlotte who was looking around for her clothing.

"It is of no consequence. Your belongings will be returned to you. Please, come."

Spock helped Charlotte down and was pleased to note that her hospital gown was a traditional vulcan design. More like a long sleeveless night shirt, reaching the floor, she had small socks on her feet so she slowly followed, her eyes fluttering around and cringing when she saw other vulcans moving around and giving her curious glances. T'Pau ignored them and continued up to the second floor and opened a door to the right, leading them in.

Charlotte looked around the room and was surprised. It was small and sparsely decorated. The walls were a deep red, a large painting of Vulcan and it's twin suns was hung on one wall and a door leading to a small bathroom was on the right. She saw the one bed and sighed internally. It was a small double bed. Barely enough room for the two of them. She continued to let her eyes roam and there was a small area for meditation and a desk with a computer next to a small replicator.

"I apologize for the size of the room. Many of our larger rooms are undergoing refurbishment."

She didn't look sorry in Charlotte's opinion. Though her face was smooth like the surface of a lake she could see her eyes dancing with a hint of amusement.

"I believe a period of rest would be recommended. I will see you for breakfast tomorrow."

Spock thanked her and she left. Charlotte wandered around the room and sat at the computer desk.

"Are you alright?"

She gave a tired nod and looked around to try and find their luggage but it had not been brought up. She felt vulnerable in the gown. It covered her more completely than her regular clothes but for some reason she felt more exposed.

She was glad when they finally received her clothes and changed into her pajamas for the night. Her eyes kept flicking to the bed nervously.

"Spock, I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

She looked around the room for spare sheets and blankets but came up empty handed.

"That is unacceptable. You need your rest. I can meditate. It should provide adequate rest for myself."

Charlotte gave a sigh and turned to Spock.

"No. I guess we can share. There's no sense in being tired when there's room for both of us."

She moved to lay down and felt the bed dip as Spock settled in behind her. His body temperature was warmer than she expected and he moved close to her under the blankets. She could feel his breath tickling the back of her neck sending a shiver down her spine.

"I apologize for the closeness. There is little room." Spock's voice was low and he shifted, brushing her back with his hands sending sparks across her skin. It brought a blush to her face as she thought that this wasn't so bad.

"It's ok. You can move closer if you need more room."

Her face turned even brighter at the thought of him closer and he did shift closer, wrapping an arm around her. She relaxed into the hold and started to fall asleep. She felt safe in his arms and the stress of the day melted away as sleep claimed her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi to those who are reading. Please, please continue to review. I want to thank Saissa for her review. I was thinking of bringing Charlotte's ex into the story later but now seems like more fun. I hope this chapter is ok. She's starting to feel the love. If anyone wants to beta on either this story or misplaced I would greatly appreciate it or if anyone has any ideas they are always welcome.**

**Btw- great news! My scan came back negative, only a small cyst. Yay! So I am happy and trying to get back in the groove. Thank you so much for all of your support!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Eighteen

Liz opened her eyes to bright sunlight pouring into their room, a feeling of happiness and contentment wrapping itself around her like a warm blanket. She tried to move but found herself tangled in a Vulcan blanket in the form of Spock. His hand under her nightshirt on her lower stomach where her small bump was, his other arm under her and curled up, touching her shoulders while his legs were tangled with hers. She stiffened for a moment but forced herself to relax in his embrace. His feeling of happiness at being so close to her was intoxicating and she gave a small smile.

"Good morning, Spock." She murmured.

Spock tightened his hold briefly before releasing her and getting up. The sudden cold after he left almost made her sorry to have woken him.

"You did not wake me, ashayem."

Charlotte blushed a bright red and pulled the blankets up around herself. Right, touch telepath. Spock walked to the replicator and came back with a small cup of coffee and a bowl of fruit in addition to her usual breakfast muffin. It was a significantly larger portion than she was used to.

"I don't think I can eat all of that. I'm just starting to get over my morning sickness."

Spock raised an eyebrow at her and handed her the food.

"You will eat all of your breakfast. You have yet to gain sufficient weight."

She sipped her coffee and he reached across her to grab her supplements and handed them to her. She took them and nibbled on the fruit under Spock's watchful gaze.

"Sleep well, Spock?"

Charlotte smiled into her coffee as Spock fidgeted. The tips of his ears turning bright green.

"It was...pleasant. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable with my proximity."

His voice was low as he focused on the words and Charlotte put down her coffee on the nightstand, putting a hand on his arm.

"You didn't make me uncomfortable. It was...kind of nice. I actually slept better than I have in a while."

She gave him an encouraging smile and she could feel relief from her contact with him. His hair was mussed from sleep and sticking up in the back and his thin nightshirt did little to hide his well defined chest. She remembered that ten minutes ago she had been held against that chest, safe and loved.

"I am pleased."

He moved closer to her and lifted his hand, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear and brushing her cheek with his fingertips gently. She leaned into the touch and he moved closer, pulling her to him. His dark eyes soft and she could feel a flutter in her chest as she let him. His lips slowly met hers, gently kissing her bottom lip and moving to kiss her fully. She tilted her head and pressed her lips to his, deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms around his neck and he lowered his to her waist. She could feel his excitement pouring through their link and it made her kiss harder, opening her mouth slightly to let his tongue dart in.

He slowly pulled away and took her hands, from around his neck and brushed his fingers against hers. Charlotte felt sparks dance up her arms from his touch and she closed her eyes at the sensation, returning the gesture and she heard him give a small moan. A small knock at the door and Spock pulled his hand away, regret filling him as he went to see who had interrupted them.

Charlotte blushed and focused on trying to eat the large amount of food Spock had brought her and listened to the muttering at the door. She soon put down her fork and closed her eyes thinking about the kiss earlier. It had been more than she expected. He really was a great kisser, gentle but adventurous. She could feel her stomach flip as she thought and quickly schooled her features as Spock came back into the room.

"So, who was it?" She asked.

"It was one of T'Pau's aids enquiring if we were in need of a larger room. I informed her that this one was adequate for our needs."

Charlotte raised her eyebrows in surprise and thought back to when T'Pau had brought them to this room stating that they didn't have anything larger. And then she remembered they were supposed to have breakfast with her. Charlotte threw off the covers and scrambled to get to her clothes.

"What are you doing?" Spock calmly asked.

"We were supposed to meet T'Pau for breakfast."

She found a light blue tunic and jeans before Spock gently grabbed her arm. In her haste she stumbled and he tightened his grip. Her head flew up, wild blue eyes panicking at the thought of insulting such an important person.

"Do not concern yourself, t'hy'la. She sent a message earlier this morning. She had meetings to attend to. I spoke with her before you woke. She did not wish to disturb our time together."

He released her and she took a shuddering breath of relief before she processed what Spock said.

"Wait a minute...you have been up for a while but I woke up in your arms? So you talked to her and came back to bed?"

"Affirmative."

Her eyebrows went down in a scowl.

"And now, suddenly there are larger rooms available and T'Pau didn't want to disturb us? Why do I get the feeling that somebody's playing matchmaker?"

Spock opened his mouth to answer but she put a hand up to silence him.

"Rhetorical question."

She grabbed her stuff and walked to the bathroom. After her shower she got her shirt on but couldn't zip up her pants. She was trying for ten minutes before she gave up and walked out with them unfastened to look for a different pair. She hadn't had a chance to replicate larger off-duty clothes and had brought her larger clothes but apparently even they weren't large enough. She overheard Spock on the computer talking to someone and paused in her rifling.

"I believe that Charlotte would enjoy a meal out. I am disappointed to not be able to meet your mother, Winona Kirk."

"Oh, well. She's really busy and I understand. I'll get to see her tomorrow when she gets home. Sulu and Chekov will be there. Sulu's getting a helicopter license, whatever that is."

She heard Kirk give a small chuckle before Spock confirmed the time and place, quickly signing off. He turned to see Charlotte who was flustered and red-faced from her wardrobe disaster and she felt a spark of amusement at her state of undress.

"What? I didn't know I wasn't able to fit in this stuff anymore. I haven't been off the ship in a while."

He walked over to her and she felt very self-conscious. She'd never not been able to fit in her clothes before so it was a little disheartening having to put aside her regular stuff. She threw her clothes in the bag and was trying to think of where she could get some new stuff when she felt a body press up against her, hands slowly wrapped around her abdomen and rested at the offending bump where her jeans wouldn't close. They were gentle and warm. Spock's chin rested on her shoulder as he held her and she leaned back, her frustrations about her clothes ebbing away.

"I don't know what I'm going to wear to go out."

"I can go and bring you something."

She gave a small smile at the thought of Spock clothes shopping.

"You don't know my size."

Spock's hand gently twitched and he nuzzled into her neck, kissing her slightly before whispering in her ear.

"I believe I have a fair idea."

Spock had returned quickly from his expedition with a variety of stretchy clothes that should accommodate her growing abdomen easily. Charlotte was surprised that he had loosely based them on the clothes that she had packed. She quickly pulled on the jeans that now had a soft elastic waistband and the stretchy long blue tunic. She looked at the clock and saw she didn't have time to straighten her hair so she just brushed the unruly curls and grabbed her purse.

Spock finished his morning routine and was waiting for her patiently in his regulation blacks. She wondered if he even owned clothing that wasn't Starfleet issue but it seemed to suit him. She gave him a small smile and they headed out for the day.

"So...where are we going?"

Spock walked calmly next to her through the afternoon rush.

"We will be meeting the captain, Lt. Sulu and Ensign Chekov for a quick lunch and then we can visit the Legion of Honor to view the art. It is said to be most impressive."

Charlotte smiled in excitement. She had wanted to visit that museum for a long time. It has a collection of over 4,000 artifacts including Monet, Picasso, Rodin sculptures and that's just the Terran art. The views from the grounds were supposed to be amazing.

"Sounds great! There's supposed to be an exhibit on Andorian pottery that's supposed to be amazing."

They came around the corner and Kirk, Sulu and Chekov had big grins on their faces. The captain and first officer gravitating to each other and Charlotte had the pilot and navigator walking alongside her.

"So...eez it boy or girl?" Chekov asked eagerly.

His young face smiling brightly and his eyes flicked to her abdomen and back up to her face.

"I don't know yet and it could be two boys, two girls or one of each." Sulu's jaw dropped and Chekov's hand flew to his head.

"Bozhe moi! There are two?"

Charlotte laughed and nodded her head. They turned the corner and followed Jim and Spock into a small bistro near he wharf. It was nice.

After a pleasant lunch of soup and sandwiches, Charlotte sat back in the pleasant atmosphere and relaxed, the conversation flowing over her.

"It's like nothing you've ever experienced. A Huey flying over the bay! You've got to try it out."

Sulu was practically vibrating as he talked about flying. His eyes were bright and he seemed to come alive just talking about it.

"I don't know. I think I'll stick to shuttles and transporters. I think I get enough excitement as it is." Kirk laughed.

"So, ave you two thought of names yet?"

Chekov brought the conversation back to Charlotte giving a bright innocent smile as he waited. Kirk smiled even wider.

"You know...James or Jamie are great names." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Jim, I do not believe that we will be naming our children after you."

Spock was so serious that the young blond's smile faltered.

"I dunno, Spock. Jamie is kind of cute." She grinned at him and his eyebrows went up into his hairline causing everyone to start laughing.

"I'm kidding."

She put a hand on his arm and listened as the topic moved over to Chekov's plans to visit his cousins in Moscow.

"Well, hello honey."

A deep voice next to Charlotte's ear caused ice fill her veins. It had been a long time since she had heard him. Her heart started to beat faster and her grip on Spock's arm tightened briefly before she turned to see the newcomer. He looked the same as she remembered him, his hair was jet black and combed to the side neatly, his eyes a dark brown looked at her and sent fear into her heart. He smiled at her and she knew there was no warmth in it. He leaned closer, oblivious to Spock who was starting to stand and the three other enterprise officers who were watching with slight frowns.

Her face paled as she looked at the one man who had hurt her, who had made her life a living hell for two years before she had been able to escape him. The captain spoke up, clearly sensing the tension.

"Charlotte, care to introduce us?"

The raven haired man leaned forward.

"I'm Michael Jacobs. Charlotte's husband."

Before anyone could react, Michael had grabbed her around the neck and held a phaser to her. Charlotte's breath started coming in short bursts, her fear beginning to escalate as he started pulling her backwards. The cold metal of the weapon pressing into her neck forced her to let him drag her. The other patrons in the restaurant scrambled away, screaming. Kirk, Sulu, and Chekov raced forward but stopped with a warning look from Jacobs.

Spock's eyes were black with anger, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists. She heard a faint growl coming from him as her captor laughed at his anger. She felt a wet trail along the side of her face and neck as he brought his tongue to her, licking her and smiling. She cringed in disgust and tried to move away but his grip tightened and he pressed a slow kiss to her neck. If she hadn't been carrying two innocent lives she would have tried to fight him but the risk was to great. Her stomach turned and she was close to throwing up.

"You see, I took my vows seriously. "Til death do us part." And then you run off with this alien freak."

Charlotte could feel his grip around her neck tighten and Spock moved forward only to be stopped by Jacobs pressing the phaser against her neck harder, making her whimper in discomfort.

"I don't think so. She's coming with me. My group is taking her home, where she belongs, with her own kind. Terra Prime heard about her being tricked by you and forced into this sham. You may have brainwashed her with your alien voodoo but she has always belonged to me."

"Your argument is illogical. You are not her husband any longer. The fact that you are trying to remove her by force is proof she does not want to go with you."

Spock was shaking with anger and it frightened her more than the man with the phaser pointed at her. She could feel it overwhelming her.

"One step further and I'll kill her. It'd be better for her to die than be with alien scum like you. It's because of aliens that this planet has nearly been destroyed multiple times. First the suliban and now some Romulan nutcase. I'm saving her from you."

He hissed the last words and reached into his pocket to hold up a control device. Pressing it once, she felt the tingling of a transporter take effect. Her last sight was Spock running to her but it was too late.

Spock lunged as he saw Jacobs pull out a remote. His hands grasped only air. He was too late. He had been too late to save his mother and now he was too late to save her. He had to get her back. He turned to his friends. Sulu and Chekov had their communicators out calling for the Enterprise to scan the area and send down security. Spock started pacing, thinking. It was his fault. He had let her be taken.

"Spock...Spock."

He stopped and looked into his captain's eyes, the blue reflecting his own worry.

"We will get her back."

Kirk's hands gripped his shoulders, giving a tight squeeze before releasing him.

"And then you can kick that piece of trash's ass."

Spock looked up, his voice low.

"I can assure you, I will do more than simply "kick his ass"."


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a long time. The fun of flu season, not me, my kids. I hope this chapter was worth the wait and as always I beg for reviews and ideas. They are the inspiration for me to keep writing. Please? I love love love hearing from you! Also, I am leaving it up to all of you to decide the genders of the babies. You are in control! **

**Tishbing**

Chapter Nineteen

The second Charlotte felt the transporter release her she knew she had to act. She elbowed Michael as hard as she could and he quickly released her. Her heart pounding she ran. They had materialized in a dark grey room. Her focus was on the door. Once she got to it she fully expected it to open but it remained shut. She slammed her hand against the door before turning around. Once she turned, she saw the muzzle of a phaser. She slowly put her hands up in a gesture of defeat.

"Oh, Charlie. You are one stubborn woman. I see you haven't changed too much."

Michael gave a small smile as he adjusted his grip on his weapon. Charlotte used this opportunity to look around the room. At the controls she saw a small woman with short brown hair rifling through a box. She wasn't going to get anything from her so she turned back to Jacobs.

"What could you possibly want with me?"

He lowered his weapon and moved close, his breath warm on her neck as he ran the back of hand across her cheek. The feel of his hands on her made her sick with dread and she turned away in defiance only to have her head snap back as Jacobs backhanded her. She tasted blood in her mouth and her eyes narrowed in hatred.

"Stupid move. See, we're rescuing you. We heard about your...situation and it was fortunate that I was in the meeting. I know how to control my wife."

His hand roughly grabbed the back of her neck, forcing her to look at him. His eyes were bright as he looked down at her and Charlotte had to swallow her original retort leaning towards a more civil answer.

"I'm not your wife. We divorced four years ago." She growled.

Shifting her weight she tried to look away but the grip on her neck was too strong.

"You always will be. You are going to be joining us here at Terra Prime for a while. We are going to send a message to the vulcans. If they do not leave Earth within a week then I will have no choice but to kill you. If they leave then I'll let you live. You see, the vows were til death do us part not til divorce."

All Charlotte could think at this point was that Michael had a serious screw loose if he believed that her one life was worth the Vulcan people leaving the federation.

"You honestly think that'll work? You're crazy!"

His grip tightened painfully and her eyes watered at the pain but she stayed still. She could feel movement on the other side of her but she couldn't move. Her neck started aching at the continued abuse but she bit her lip before she said anything she'd really regret.

"I think they will. I know what you're carrying and how desperate the Vulcan people are to protect any hint of their pathetic bloodlines."

Her blood ran cold at his words and she closed her eyes to try and contain her fear, neither acknowledging or denying what he was saying. The cold tip of the phaser dug into her side once more and her eyes snapped open to Michael's sneering face.

"I think you get my point."

He jabbed at her side again causing Charlotte to gasp and pull away only to be grabbed by the other person. Softer hands gripped her biceps before she felt a sting and hiss in her neck. Black started seeping into her vision and as her world started tilting she before she fell completely into the black.

Spock paced the restaurant, his fists clenched as he waited for the results of the scans from the Enterprise's security team and from the ship herself. His anger was overwhelming his control and he fought the urge to grab the devices from the officers and do it himself. They had been working for over an hour, taking statements, scans, and building a profile on Michael Jacobs and Terra Prime.

He quickly skimmed the preliminary report on Jacobs and had to suppress the growl threatening to emerge as he read the many arrests of domestic violence that often went unpunished as his spouse refused to press charges until the divorce. Charlotte had married him directly out of high school at eighteen and divorced at twenty. It was at that point that he had tried to kidnap her from her cadet quarters at Starfleet Academy that he had been finally charged with some serious crimes. A short stint of two years at a federation correctional facility and he was out on probation. He had apparently made friends with a xenophobic member of Terra Prime. A group bent on separating Earth from the federation. Terra Prime had limited themselves to demonstrations and small acts of terrorism but nothing like this for a while.

_"Enterprise to Captain Kirk."_

The young captain stepped away from the local officials who were taking his statement to respond.

"Kirk here."

Spock moved closer to his captain and waited, muscles tense to hear what was being said.

_"Sir, there's a video being transmitted and it's addressed to the Elders from Vulcan, Commander Spock and...you."_

"Send it through. Track the origin of the message."

Spock's eyes widened and he followed Kirk to the back of the restaurant to the private comm in the manager's office. The room was neat so it was simple to locate the machine and turn it on. The screen came to life with a still shot of Charlotte lying on the ground, the right side of her face bruised and a split lip, her eyes closed as her blond curls haloed her head. Spock's heart seemed to stop as he viewed his mate, seemingly dead on the screen.

The image changed to a video, showing the pale, dark haired man known as Jacobs. Spock's fists clenched as the man smiled into the camera.

_"Well, well, well. I have something I know that you all want. She's alive...for now. If you want her to remain that way then you will comply with the demands of Terra Prime. You see, I know she was tricked into this ridiculous claim of marriage so either way she'll be better off. The main idea is that all vulcans leave Earth and the Federation. You have manipulated us for long enough and Charlotte is living proof of that. First when you treated us like idiot children when you came here and met Zephram Cochrane and during the early years in Starfleet when your kind would always hold back information, manipulating the situation to your advantage. It's personal now."_

Spock's mind was rapidly going blank with rage at this man's insolence but underneath it he felt the small stirrings of doubt at his convictions. Charlotte had, in a way been manipulated by him but she had consented. He did love her. He knew from their bond and touches that she was attracted to him but he was not sure if it was love. The doubt was beginning to feel like a lead weight in his stomach and he had to know. He had to get her back to know. She was his. He was sure of the affection she had shown when his blood had burned. She had saved him. He had to save her.

_"I will send regular scans to show my good will that she is alive and that the...abominations growing are still there. I will contact you every eight hours with a scan to show you our...good intentions. We await your answer."_

The screen went blank for a moment before a set of bio readings flashed across the screen showing Charlotte's basic life signs. Kirk leapt into action and called the Enterprise.

"Kirk to Enterprise."

_"Enterprise here. Jacobson speaking."_

"You get a trace on that signal?"

A pause.

_"No, sir. I'm sorry. The transmission was routed through so many stations that when we tried to trace it it broke up more."_

Spock's brow furrowed as he thought. The only other way was to try and find her through their bond. He left the room and his captain behind to find a private space to meditate. He quickly located a private booth and situated himself on the ground, legs crossed. Closing his eyes, he had to mentally push aside all of the anger and frustration he was feeling and focus on Charlotte, on her essence. He slowed his breathing and tentatively reached outward and found the golden strands that connected them and pulled.

He found her. Though her light was muted he could see she was alive. Feelings of fear/hurt/disbelief were prevalent but she was alive. He pulled the connection tighter to try and comfort her and communicate but only a light buzzing met him. She was not awake. He pulled himself out of the link with a new feeling of determination. He would have to try again soon.

Spock poured over the report. The transporter signature indicated it was a short range personal transport so she could not have travelled far, however, after the initial transport her location was open to speculation. The press had received the basic information pertaining to Charlotte's disappearance, who was behind it and the main protagonist. Jacob's face was on every news channel but the video that had been sent was not released. Spock had been in agreement with that decision.

He had tried two more times since the video to contact Charlotte but had so far been unsuccessful. It was unsettling that he was not able to talk to her and his anger was mounting. He had spoken to T'Pau and the elders apprising them of the situation and they were concerned and voiced the opinion of Spock and Charlotte relocating to New Vulcan once she had been returned. Spock considered it but pushed it aside to continue his search for his mate.

It had been nearly eight hours since their last communication and soon they would receive an update on her situation. His concern was clouding his control and Kirk was watching him. His scrutiny was an irritation as he tried to focus on his task of setting up a program to track the source of the expected signal.

"Spock?"

He continued typing and said nothing.

"Spock? I think you need to take a break. You haven't eaten and it's late. The crew is coming back from shore leave to try and help."

The captain walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Spock shook it off and focused on the task at hand. Kirk sighed and moved closer.

"Spock, take a break. This is too close to you and you need to clear your head. I'm sure that Charlotte wouldn't want you to make yourself sick."

Spock slowed his typing and processed what his friend was trying to say. The truth was he wasn't sure what she would want. They were still young in their relationship and things had only recently moved into the direction he had been wanting. Even if she would not want him to over exert himself he wanted to find her...he needed to.

"I do not require rest at this time. Vulcans do not need as much rest as humans."

His tone was clipped and he turned away from the console, silently daring Kirk to stop him. The captain's eyes widened and he took a step back out of the vulcan's personal space.

"Look...I can finish the program and you can meditate, maybe try to eat something and come back in an hour."

As Kirk finished his words their console lit up with the data from Jacob's scan. Spock pounced on the console and hit the activate button to start his program but the signal faded before he had gotten a fix. His and Kirk's fingers typed furiously to try and analyze the information that they could. Their hands worked in tandem as algorithms were put in and calculations finished. They were so focused on their tasks they didn't even notice another person came up behind them.

"Jim, Spock. I took a look at both readings and saw that she's doin' okay. She needs a copper supplement in the morning and is a little dehydrated but her and the babies are essentially alright."

McCoy's statement sent a small wave of relief but he continued to work even when the doctor continued to watch him.

"Well, the signal's still in the California area but that's about all I can get."

Kirk leaned back frowning and Spock slammed his fist onto the console. Absently, he was aware of the pain in his knuckles, bright green blood dripping onto the now cracked console. His frustration was mounting and he was ashamed of his outburst but it was nearing impossible to control. He had to leave. He stormed out of science labs to go to his quarters and meditate. His vision was red as he walked. He had only experienced this phenomena once before. When Kirk had antagonized him on the bridge after Vulcan's destruction. He needed control.

Kirk turned to Bones after Spock's abrupt departure, his eyes wide and in that moment he feared for Michael Jacob's life. He had been on the wrong end of the Commander's anger once before and knew that he was close to losing it. McCoy's face mirrored his reaction and he shook himself to bring himself back to the present.

"Hey Bones. What're you doing back? I thought you were spending the week in Atlanta visiting your mom."

McCoy scowled at him and rolled his eyes.

"You think I'm gonna stay on vacation when one of my nurses...one of my friends is missing?" His voice had risen in a growl.

Jim just shook his head and looked at the cracked screen. The green blood staining the glass and showing the pain that his friend was in.

"Thanks for being here. We're going to need you."

He clapped his friend on the shoulder and they stepped out of the lab to head to the bridge.

"Yeah. Any leads?"

Kirk sighed and slammed the lift button.

"Not a lot. We know the guy was her former husband, from Seattle but lived in California since his release from jail a year ago. He's on probation from a previous kidnap attempt when he tried to snatch her at the academy. He met his new friends from Terra Prime at jail. We tracked the signal partially to show it's still in the California area but that may not be where she is."

The lift carried them to the bridge and he moved to the security station where Lt. Giotto was pulling files on known Terra Prime members and comparing them with the file on Jacobs. His hands flying over his console and his eyes moving so fast as he read they seemed blurred. When Kirk had first met him, he had thought that Giotto was just a meathead, someone to just be muscle. Things had changed between them and he valued his input. He was no longer Cupcake (though it was still fun to rile him up with his nickname) but was a valued security chief who was a tactical genius. He had a file next to Jacobs picture. The picture on the new file showed a young woman with short brown hair, her pale face screwed in anger at her picture being taken in what was a clearly a mug shot. Her brown eyes narrowed in anger and her lips thin and twisted in a grimace. The image was certainly disturbing.

"Who in the hell is that?" McCoy pointed at the screen from behind Kirk.

Giotto whirled around in surprise.

"That is Kendra Mowles. She's a piece of work. She is the only known group member that was recently seen in the California area. She served time for sending death threats to multiple Starfleet Admirals and stalking the federation president. Her crimes never escalated beyond that. She was married to Thomas Mowles who recently died of a heart attack. Thomas Mowles served time at the same time as Jacobs. So far we have been unable to find her to question her possible involvement."

He handed Kirk a PADD with the information and pointed out what he'd described. McCoy hovered next to him and they scanned the document and he felt like there was a possibility. He read the lists of addresses of both suspects and noticed a surprising similarity. Almost all of them were in California, more specifically Palm Springs.

"Robert...have you noticed the addresses? Are you thinking what I am?"

Kirk looked up smiling, hope blossoming in his chest.

"Yeah. If they're anything like the usual backwards criminals they'll stay with something familiar. However, Palm Springs is over 94 square miles. That's a lot of area to search. I've sent the data to the local authorities but we need more to go on before we do anything."

"Agreed. Good work, Chief. I think you're right. The Commander and I tracked the signal and it was still in California but that was all we had gotten before we lost the trace. This corroborates what we discovered."

He rubbed a hand over his tired face and continued to read the information. He just couldn't understand why people would think that Earth should be alone. Acts such as this did nothing to garner sympathy for their cause.

Charlotte slowly opened her eyes but shut them once the motion of lights caused her lunch from earlier start to rise up. Swallowing thickly, she opened them again and took in her surroundings. Her hands and feet were tied with a rough rope and she had a cloth gag. Her head was swimming with whatever that woman had shot her with and it scared her. She was worried that it could affect the children.

She could feel vibrations and she turned her head up. She was in the backseat of a car but it was too dark to make out much. It had to be late evening, possibly night. At he angle she couldn't see much more than street lights so she decided to focus on her captors in the front seats. She saw Jacobs at the steering wheel and in the passenger seat the woman who had been at the transporter controls when she had first been taken. They were silent which unnerved her all the more so she started to fidget. Her hands were starting to hurt with her pulling against the ropes holding her but she kept up her struggle which didn't go unnoticed.

"Miss Jones. So glad you could join us. We're nearly at your temporary home. Another five minutes and we'll be there so please relax otherwise we'll have to give you another shot."

The woman gave her a small smile and continued to watch her struggle. Charlotte's only response was to glare back. Her anger reading through her eyes caused the other woman to blink in surprise.

"I don't see why you're so upset. We had reliable information about how upset you were in this forced situation but Michael knew that you tend to go along with the situation until there's a way out. It just so happens that your way out also provides us with the means to achieve our goals as well."

Charlotte's eyes narrowed. Did this woman honestly think that they were doing her a favor, kidnapping her, risking her pregnancy, taking her away from Starfleet which she loves, possibly killing her in the end and not to mention Spock. She still wasn't sure if it was love but it was getting to be more than a simple like.

The gag was muffling all attempts for her to speak and her mouth was so dry it was beginning to chap her lips. Apparently the brunette noticed her discomfort and moved to remove the gag.

"I'm Kendra. Now, I'm gonna take this off but you need to not scream or shout or any of that."

Charlotte nodded her head and waited while the cloth was pulled off. Once it was removed she had to work the kinks out of her jaw before she could talk.

"I was not looking for a way out and I certainly don't need it now. I like Spock and I love my career. Take me back and I can see about getting the charges dropped."

Her voice was hoarse from being do thirsty and the drug in her system but she hoped she could convey her sincerity. Her ex-husband laughed harshly and it sent chills down her spine. He might have used the excuse of Terra Prime but his eyes when he turned to her showed her it was personal. The hatred he showed was startling, his dark gaze quickly raking over her form.

"You don't give a damn whether the Vulcans leave Earth or not, do you? Michael? Why are you doing this?" Charlotte pleaded.

"You should never have left me. When you sent me those papers and ran off, I was shocked. You had been doing so well."

His face turned back to his driving and Kendra's mouth flew open. Her rage and confusion was evident. Inside, Charlotte smiled a little. Divide and conquer.

"Were you ever interested in Terra Prime? Or did you use them as an excuse to get to me?"

Kendra's mouth was pressed into a thin line and her hands were clenched into tight fists but she waited for his answer.

"I am interested in them but not At this level. You belong with me."

The woman's eyes flashed and Charlotte felt vomit trying to make an appearance but she shoved it down. Her heart started to pound in concert with her head as the realization of how crazy he really is started to seep in.

"What are you talking about?" Kendra hissed.

Charlotte saw it in her mind before it really happened. The gun he'd hidden in his lap. Before she could shout a warning Jacobs whipped it up and fired it at the woman. Charlotte closed her eyes in horror as she heard the thump of the woman's head hitting the dashboard. She knew she was dead. The point blank range made survival nearly impossible.

"Why?" She mumbled.

"You'll see. Her skills made it possible to bring you home. I'll miss her. She was a poor substitute for my Charlie."

The smell of the burned flesh and her fear was enough to shatter her control. She threw up.

It was another ten minutes before the car stopped. They were clearly outside the city in every sense. She kept her eyes screwed shut and held back her tears. Her body was shaking from her earlier episode. Jacobs quickly pulled the woman's body out of the car and hid it out of sight. He opened her door near her head and dragged her out with his hands under her arms eventually picking her up bridal style. Her eyes flew open and she started to buck but his grip was tight and unyielding. She saw her surroundings and quickly took them in, trying to memorize them. She could see the outline of a range of desert mountain ranges. Mt. San Jacinto was prominent, scrub brush and desert landscape was everywhere but before she could look further he whirled around and walked towards a small stone cabin. It was small and there was nothing around it except desert.

Her struggles were fruitless as he quickly crossed through the small cabin and put her on the bed. The second his grip was off she bucked and moved to kick him but his hands grabbed her legs and he pulled out a hypo from his pocket.

"Now, now, darling. Do I really have to use this?" He asked condescendingly.

She gave a short jerk of her head and he smiled and put it away. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, his breath puffing against her skin.

"Good girl. Now I'm gonna untie you but I will attach one limb to the wall and you're going to lay still. One move and I will use the shot."

His lips trailed along her jaw and she tensed under his touch but didn't move as he attached a cuff to her left wrist with a long chain bolted to the wall and he cut the ropes on her legs and hands. The chain was long enough for her to be able to move around a small amount, about 3 feet so she wasn't fully limited but it was strong.

"I'm glad to see you've started to learn to listen. Maybe we'll have a better relationship than before."

He ran the back of his hand across her cheek and she turned away with a sharp twist.

"They say absence makes the heart grow fonder."


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey all! I am soooo sorry it's been a while. I hope. The result was worth the wait! If anyone wants any changes, feel free to let me know. Btw- I love reviews and opinions, good and bad. It's also up to you guys to choose the babies' genders. I leave it in your capable hands! Please review.**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Twenty

"They say absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Charlotte could feel the bile rising in her throat at the words, her heart beating a violent tattoo in her chest and his touch, though gentle, spoke volumes about his intentions. He was never going to let her go. At least alive. She didn't say anything.

"Nothing?" He hissed.

His hand gripped her chin and wrenched her face up to his, eyes blazing.

"After everything I've done for you!?"

He shoved her back against the bed disgusted and walked across the room to a small replicator and typed in an order and brought over a steaming plate of pasta and a glass of water. He set it next to her on the bedside table with a fork and shook his head.

"You need to eat. I'll be back in a couple of hours. I need to send a final message to your vulcan and then we'll have all the time in the world."

His eyes were dark but seemed unfocused, as if he was seeing something she couldn't. She needed to play on his wish to keep her alive.

"Alright, but if you want to try and keep me alive and well then I need you to get something for me. I need copper supplements and prenatal vitamins otherwise I risk a miscarriage. This far into a pregnancy could cause complications and kill me."

She gave him the wide eyes of seriousness and hoped he would take the bait and leave her be. His hands checked the cuff and chain on her left hand making sure it was secure and nodded.

"Alright. I'll be back in a few hours."

She tried to give him a small smile but it was more like a twisted grimace but Charlotte could see he appreciated the effort. He left with a smile and shut and locked the door to her room. The second she heard the door to the house shut she bolted up and took stock of her surroundings.

There was little furniture in the room, a queen size bed, nightstand next to her and a large chest of drawers with a mirror above it. Her chain was bolted directly to the wall securely. Even tugging with all her strength it didn't budge. The floors were a dark cherry wood so it would he hard to hide noises so she'd at least have some warning for when he came back. To her right she had a large window with dark red curtains that gave her a view of the mountain in the fading light. She closed her eyes and focused on remembering the images until she felt a faint tugging in the back of her mind.

"Spock." She breathed.

He was trying to find her. To make sure she was alive. Charlotte didn't have the skills to "talk" to him because she had been adamantly refusing to acknowledge their link but right now she regretted her stubbornness. She forced herself to calm down and focused on the tugging putting the images of the stone cottage and the view from her window at the forefront of her mind, shoving them at the tugging sensation. Abruptly, it stopped. Her eyes snapped open in fear that she may have broken the connection but she was soon flooded with feelings of concern/fear/desperation and underneath a feeling of great relief.

The eight hours had elapsed and Spock was waiting for the next transmission from Jacobs. With each subsequent connection he was closer to determining the source and finding Charlotte.

"It's coming through now." Uhura whispered.

Spock hit the tracing subroutine and looked over to Kirk, giving him a nod to let him know it was activated. The captain looked toward the view screen as Uhura put it up. The whole bridge was silent while the Commander was focusing on the telemetry being received but a collective gasp from the officers caused him to look up. The screen showed a typed text.

"She deserved to die. Her death will be an example to those who violate the beliefs of a pure race."

And what followed was a basic scan showing flatlining results including her blood-type, time of death and cause of death. A phaser wound to the head at close range. Spock's heart almost stopped, his hands became numb forcing him to drop his stylus. All around him the officers were watching him, wide-eyed and fearful. The first to come to him was Kirk who put a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh God, I am so sorry. We will find them and make him pay."

He shook the offending hand off.

"She's not dead." He hissed.

To everyone's astonishment he stormed off the bridge.

Spock was meditating in his quarters, his body tense as he focused on the golden chain connecting him to his adun'a. He gave a gentle tug trying to get her attention in the hope that she was finally awake. His fear of the transmission being true weighed heavily on his mind as he reached out. Again and again he tried. He would know if the unthinkable happened.

Hours later and after many attempts by the crew to get his attention he finally found her. He felt a push back at his tug. It _was_ her! He concentrated his energy and was rewarded with a slew of images. A stone cottage, a desert landscape at sunset with a mountain range in the back. He knew that location but he would have to find out exactly where it was. He was grateful for his eidetic memory and he pulled himself out of the link, quickly grabbing a PADD and stylus. He sketched the images and ran them through the computer. His crude drawings were going to take a while to determine the exact location. He quickly headed to the bridge with this new information.

He stepped onto the bridge with a feeling of hope and determination. The faces on the bridge looked at him in sympathy. He knew better.

"Captain, I have been able to establish contact with Ensign Jones. I received images of her location and the computer is analyzing my sketches."

He handed the PADD to Kirk who looked at him skeptically. He could feel McCoy coming behind him.

"Spock...I know it's hard to accept but the scans have been confirmed. The best we can do is try and bring justice to her murderers."

Spock's irritation rose and he heard a click behind him.

"Doctor, if you attempt to sedate me I will have to break your arm."

McCoy stepped back.

"What harm will it do to insure that this information is untrue. To invalidate it?" He implored.

The Captain looked around before giving a sigh and frowning.

"Very well. We'll join you as well as Lt. Giotto once you have a location." He acquiesced.

It was what he had been hoping for.

Charlotte was skeptical of the food that was offered. She didn't trust it so she dumped it under the bed and left the empty plate on the night stand and shoved the fork up the sleeve on her right arm, keeping a grip to use it for when he came back. She lay on the bed waiting for him to come back. She was done being under his control. She wasn't sure if anyone was going to be coming so she had to get out. He had to have a key or something.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the lock to her door click. Laying back down she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, hoping her heartbeat wouldn't betray her. Apparently not and apparently she was right to not trust the food. He seemed to have expected this effect and his loud footsteps coming closer. Her body was strung tighter than a piano wire as she felt the bed dip next to her.

"They're never going to believe you're still alive and never going to find you now. Kendra served her purpose. I used her biosignature to show a death...your death. I will never let you go."

He whispered his words and began stroking her hair, the touch was gentle, almost loving and she struggled to remain still through it all. She could feel him leaning down, his breath on her face as he got closer, his lips brushing hers.

That was when she struck. She stabbed the fork into his shoulder as hard as she could, his shock was her opportunity. He turned to dig it out and she dug the heel of her palm into his nose. Cursing and sputtering he fell off the bed and she leapt up, kicking him in the head. She just couldn't stop. She continued hitting and punching him all over, even when he stopped moving, tears streaming down her face, her vision red, screaming her fury until she collapsed next to him breathing heavily.

"You bastard." She hissed, her voice hoarse from shouting and crying.

She dug through his pockets and found the keys to her cuff and quickly released herself. She stood and looked down at him, a sizable pile of blood surrounding him but she saw he was still breathing but wasn't getting up any time soon. She needed a communications terminal.

She walked out to the living room area and noticed her legs were shaking and black spots were appearing in her vision. She couldn't go far, her vision now showing flashing lights. She had to sit down. The floor was coming too fast. Her arms started shaking and then black.

Spock saw the readouts and knew where it was. Hermit Springs cabin, Palm Springs, San Jacinto mountain range on the Pacific Crest trail.

"Captain, I have the location."

Kirk nodded as they suited up, regulation blacks, phasers and lash lights. Together, Sulu, Giotto, Kirk, McCoy and Spock stepped onto the transporter ready to get her back. Spock was ready to kill.

"Energize, Mr. Scott."

"Aye, Sir."

They arrived outside a small stone cottage, the perfect replica of the image hat he had received from Charlotte. He reached out to her but could only sense a confusing jumble. He sped up his movements, taking point with Sulu on one side and Kirk on the other. The darkness was to their advantage. Spock slowly moved to the door and saw blood on the handle. His anxiety increased and he moved to open the door, thankfully unlocked. The sight that greeted him was right out of a nightmare.

Charlotte was on the ground, her back arching and spasming. She had bit her tongue and was jerking with a vengeance. Spock was torn. Go to her or make sure this was not a trap. He was grateful Kirk took charge.

"Spock, McCoy! Take care of Jones." He barked.

He flew to her side, McCoy pulling out his medical kit.

"Goddammit! Her blood pressure's through he roof, seizing, she's about to stroke out. Make sure she doesn't hurt herself but don't restrain her. It could cause more damage."

McCoy started pulling out multiple hyposprays and an IV kit.

"What are you giving her?" He asked.

"Triativan to stop he seizure, Hydralazine for blood pressure and Magnesium Sulfate as a combination tocolytic to stave off the risk of preterm labor and help with blood pressure and minimize another seizure."

He started sticking in hypo after hypo, attaching the IV and adding fluids to rehydrate her and added a copper and prenatal supplements to address the fact that his scans showed she had not eaten or drank in a while. Her small body continued shaking for another two minutes before the medication took full effect and she calmed.

"I need to do a detailed scan back on the Enterprise. I don't know if that seizure caused any damage. Most epilepsy seizures are harmless but once they go past five minutes..."

His brown eyes were hard as he continued to run the scan over Charlotte's prone form. Spock saw blood on her hands that was clearly not hers, a bruise across the left side of her pale face and her right hand looked fractured. Almost as if she had hit something repeatedly. He looked up to see Kirk, Sulu and Giotto come out of the bedroom shaking their heads.

"He's not there. Looks like he got scared after he saw the state of her. She must have beat the daylights out of him." Giotto stated as he looked down at her with a sign of respect on his features. McCoy gathered up his bag.

"She's stable for transport. McCoy to Enterprise. Two to beam up and have a med team standing by."

Spock watched her go with the doctor in a swirl of light before turning to Kirk.

"We need to find him and his accomplice." He muttered.

The captain shook his head sadly. His blue eyes dull with the pain that his friend was clearly going through.

"Spock, your place is with Charlotte. We'll canvass the area."

He nodded his understanding and beamed up, heading directly to the medical bay. He was not going to let anything happen to her ever again.

McCoy and Nurse Chapel placed Charlotte's limp body on the biobed and changed her into a gown. He read the scans carefully and was thankful her blood pressure was within the normal range, 115/75, normal brain wave patterns indicating she was asleep, the fetal heart tones were varying between 130 and 140. Average. No placental abruption or contractions, no noticeable brain damage or blood clots. She'd be weak and tired but in a week or two she should be fine.

McCoy watched Spock rush into her room and his body was so tense he was surprised it didn't snap. His eyes flickering between Charlotte and him, waiting for an explanation.

"She's gonna be ok. I got the seizure under control, the babies are fine and she'll be tired. I need to repair the bite to her tongue and the bruise to her cheek but she can be released tomorrow on bed rest."

He gave a curt nod and moved to her side, taking her hand. His posture relaxed slightly.

"How long of a convalescence should she require before she may return to her previous duties?"

Though his tone was almost cold, McCoy knew it was laced with concern. His eyes gave him away. He was concerned about her stubbornness to adhere to her restrictions, her risk of this medical incident repeating itself and he was afraid that she could be taken away again.

"I'd say two weeks to be on the safe side. I know it's a little much but I'd feel safer if she took it easy. Also, I want her to take the time to process what happened to her. She needs to deal with her past demons."

"Agreed." Spock murmured.

McCoy gave a small chuckle. Everyone knew doctors and nurses made the worst patients. He was glad that it wasn't him handling her. He had enough with wrangling Jim and the rest of the crew to take it easy.

Two hours had passed in silence, the only sound was the steady beeping of the monitors attached to Charlotte. Spock kept his vigil next to her. His body was slowly relaxing as her readings strengthened.

"Spock?"

He looked up from the pale face of his wife to see Kirk walking in. His posture was slumped. A good indicator of disappointing news.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Jim. We're not on duty right now. I'm here as a friend."

Spock's lips twitched a small amount, grateful for him.

"How is she?" He asked, moving closer.

"She will survive, though she will require bed rest for the next two weeks."

The blonde nodded his head and gave a small sigh.

"I wish I had better news for you. Jacobs got away. We found his accomplice, Kendra Mowles, dead. She was in the garage. He'd used her death to stage Ensign Jones' in the hope that we would give up the search. The blood in the room was his. Apparently, Charlotte gave as good as she got. I think when she fell ill it scared him into running."

Spock agreed with the explanation.

"We've sent out broadcasts across the planet to try and find him. We will find him but at this point it is a planetary matter. We cannot interfere any more than what we have. I'm sorry."

He looked ashamed at his failure. Spock moved to stand next to him and placed a hand to his shoulder.

"They will find him, Ca-Jim. We have her back and that is what is important. I will not let this happen again."

Kirk gave a small smile, his blue eyes brightening.

"Neither will we. Charlotte and these little ones have become a major part of this family and no-one will mess with our family...ever again."

His gaze turned glacial as he watched the small blonde on the biobed resting. Spock was grateful that he alone would not be watching out for his bondmate. He had the support of the best crew. The Enterprise crew.


	21. Chapter 21

**So sorry for not updating in so long. I have had major writer's block. Any ideas for what you want to happen next are greatly appreciated! Any character relationships anyone wants me to explore? I'm dying here! I love your input! Thank you!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Twenty-One

Spock sat ramrod straight watching as Charlotte slept, the cardiac monitors quietly beeping reassuring him that she was safe and physically whole. He had tried holding her hand but the emotions that had bled through that small contact had forced him to withdraw. Her fear was overwhelming. Fear for herself, the children and even for him. It was unnerving. The strength of her emotions were so severe that he had had to partially block their bond to be able to function. He was concerned his own rage was adding to her fear. He needed her to wake so she could be helped. The doctor had said that she should be coming around soon and so he waited.

It was a full two hours before her cerulean eyes finally fluttered open. The bruise on her face had began healing under McCoy's ministrations. The sight was welcome to the vulcan and his hand reached to her only to have her flinch away with wide eyes.

"You are safe. No-one is here to hurt you." He murmured quietly.

Her shoulders came down slightly but she was still tense. He pulled back to give her some space but did not leave. Her eyes trailed around the room as though searching. It pained him to see her in fear. He forced his own anger and fear aside and pushed his own relief and calm thoughts to the forefront of his mind to where she could feel them through their link. It was not as strong as physical contact but he did not think it wise to push her.

"Thank you." Charlotte mumbled.

She looked down at her arm and started to mess with the IV in her arm and it was this inopportune moment that Dr. McCoy made an appearance, scowl firmly in place.

"I'd suggest you knock that off Charlotte. If it was ready to come out, it wouldn't be in there."

She dropped her hands and gave him a small smile which served to almost eliminate his gruff demeanor as he moved to scan over her prone body. Spock watched as the doctor attached monitors to her abdomen, pulled a hood over her head to confirm no brain damage from the seizure and double checked her blood pressure readouts.

"So, when can I get out of here?"

Her voice, though it sounded cheery, almost was too high pitched to be truly non-chalant. McCoy sputtered and almost dropped his equipment and Spock's brows furrowed as he turned his eyes towards her.

"I think I will leave you to the doctor's care for the time being. He will be more than adequate at explaining your treatment."

He left the medical bay to return to his quarters. He needed additional support. His first task was to contact T'Pau to inform her of recent developments. He closed his eyes for a moment before typing in her comm code. The IDIC came onscreen before her lined face. He could see concern radiating in her dark eyes but she showed no other signs of emotion. An impressive feat to say the least.

"Spock. Any news of your ko-telsu?"

He gave a small nod, his lips pursed.

"Yes. She was found, relatively unharmed. She suffered extreme fluctuations in blood pressure resulting in seizures. They are under control and she is required to rest for the next fourteen days. I...do not believe that she will adhere very well to the restrictions. I am in need of advice, elder, and possibly assistance. Mr. Jacobs was not located and he is resourceful."

The older woman on the screen nodded in understanding, her face looking off to the side deep in thought.

"I believe I may have a solution that should not be considered...overbearing. I am concerned that there may be someone onboard your ship who passed the information of Miss Jones' whereabouts and familial status to her former husband. She may still be at risk."

Spock agreed. The inside knowledge that Jacobs seemed to have amassed was indeed unusual. Their coupling had not been made public knowledge and her resistance, though not hidden, had not been viewed off of the ship.

"What is your proposal?" He enquired.

"I need to gain approval from your captain and chief medical officer first."

Before Spock could say more, the screen went blank. His thoughts whirled with possibilities and he decided that now he needed to meditate. The current crisis was over and his grasp of control was tenuous at best.

"Are...are you serious?" She hissed.

The alarms above her bed began to wail and Charlotte closed her eyes and began to will herself to calm down. To slow her breathing and her pulse. It took a minute but soon everything calmed down and the noise quieted. Once that happened she was able to open her eyes and view Dr. McCoy without being interrupted.

"I'm stable. I don't see why I need such a prolonged rest. I understand twenty-four or forty-eight hours but not two weeks."

McCoy rolled his eyes and put his hands on the side of her bed, fingers spread, and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Look. You were in status epilepticus resulting from severe hypertension. You had enough drugs in your system to start a damn pharmacy and it was only after I made sure that your brain wasn't leaking out of your ears that I was able to check on the babies and the rest of you. This was close. You are a higher risk pregnancy because of the hybrid status alone not to mention that it's multiples."

Charlotte nodded mutely, knowing that once McCoy started on his rant it was best to let him finish. It was as cathartic for him as tears were for others. Fortunately, he started to calm down slightly and took a deep breath.

"Also, I want you to take time to process what happened. I read the file about this guy. I want you to talk to someone about this. Dr. Helen Noel is available or if you wanted you could talk to me."

Charlotte hated talking to people about her past. In her opinion it was better for her to just move on and shut it away. To dwell on it was fruitless. As though he could read her mind, the doctor put a hand on her shoulder.

"I know it seems better to just forget about it but you're causing yourself stress. This stress will affect the babies. If not for yourself, then do it for them."

He really knew how to hit where it hurt. She gave a curt nod and laid back on he biobed.

"I'll set up an appointment with Dr. Noel for sometime next week. Is that ok?"

He gave her a small smile and squeezed her shoulder before finishing his report. She waited until he was done before speaking again.

"I'd prefer to rest in my quarters if that's ok."

"That's fine. I'll be releasing you in the morning but with a biomonitoring bracelet. It'll just keep an eye on things and I'll check on you each day to be sure everything's ok."

She gave him a wry smile.

"House calls? You really are an old fashioned country doctor at heart."

Her release was delayed until late afternoon and though she was tired she was eager to have some time to herself. She had been poked and prodded throughout the night and morning. It gave her a new perspective of what her patients were subjected to when they took up residence in the medical bay. Her walks had been limited to just bathroom trips and she suspected that Leonard had stationed people to be sure she stayed in bed. There wasn't a moment alone and it was difficult to sleep when Nurse Baker or Cho or Chapel or any number of other people were within eyeshot of her at all hours.

It was with absolute joy that she was able to go back to her room even if she basically had a leash attached at her wrist. Spock had taken the day off since they were still docked at Jupiter station around Earth until tomorrow when the updates to the communications array were completed.

Lieutenant Cho helped settle her in her bed. She double checked her monitor and placed some PADDs next to her bed. Charlotte always loved working with Mi-Cha Cho. Whereas Christine was a force to be reckoned with Mi was a calming and peaceful influence. She moved with a grace that Charlotte never could and always had a smile even when the situation was dire.

"Thanks, Mi. I'm sure I can manage at this point."

The young Korean nurse just shook her head and laughed.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah. I appreciate everything you guys have done but I'd like a little time to myself though."

"I would if I was you. Hey, did you realize you're finally in your second trimester today? Twelve weeks."

Charlotte put a hand to her small bump and smiled. The risks were smaller now but still present.

"Yeah. I'm not sure if I want to know the genders yet and I'm just glad I'm not feeling like throwing up all the time. I do miss bacon though."

Nurse Cho gave her an indulgent smile and one last check to the bracelet monitor before leaving. The moment the doors shut Charlotte ran to the bathroom and spoiled herself with a long shower. It had been days since she had been able to have one. The sonics in the medical bay just never really did it. It was something else entirely as the hot water beat down on her back and shoulder, easing the tension out of her muscles.

Once fully clean she stepped out of the steaming bathroom and grabbed her PADD. She was a little hurt that she hadn't seen Spock since she had first woken up in sickbay but she understood that he needed time to handle what had happened. It still hurt though. She was about to pull up an article on complimentary medicine when she heard the door to their quarters open. She placed the PADD next to her and waited.

She didn't have long to wait before her bedroom door was opened. Spock walked in followed by a young Vulcan woman. Charlotte recognize her from the compound's medical facilities when she had been examined by the vulcan healers. Suspicion darted through her mind but she gave a pleasant smile.

"Adun'a, I am pleased to see you...resting."

His eyes darted to the PADD that had yet to enter sleep mode and they narrowed but he said nothing further.

"I'm just doing a bit of reading. You'd be surprised at how little there is to read in sickbay."

She pushed the PADD aside and sat up straighter but it was hard to look authoritative in pajamas. The young woman walked over and picked up the PADD and her eyebrows raised in slight surprise before she moved it to the bookshelf.

"Charlotte, I would like to introduce T'Peni. She will be assisting the Enterprise staff in your care for the remainder of your pregnancy and after."

Surprise flittered through her mind and she pushed it aside.

"It's nice to see you again but I already have a doctor. Leonard McCoy is more than sufficient at caring for my needs." She stated.

T'Peni stepped forward and gave a small nod of understanding.

"And he will remain as your primary physician. My main role will be providing care for the fetuses you are currently carrying. I will also be supporting Dr. McCoy in his duties as your obstetrician and I have been contracted through Starfleet as a shipboard physician. This is to provide relief to the overtaxed medical facility aboard the Enterprise."

Well, that sort of made sense in her mind. It helped her feel that it wasn't just about her. Charlotte didn't particularly like the idea of having a vulcan doctor in her sickbay but she had to admit that the lack of personnel on Taurus VI made the recovery efforts that much more difficult. Spock stood at the side of the young doctor and almost looked uneasy. His emotions were too close to the surface and she could see dark lines under his eyes. She pushed at the link between them and received nothing in return. Her brow furrowed in concern as she looked at him closer. His posture was too stiff and Charlotte could see his muscles were bunched. The affection and stability she had seen the morning that they had shared in the compound was gone. If T'Peni was going to be an Enterprise physician then she would need to care for all staff.

"Healer T'Peni? When do you start?" Charlotte asked.

"I have received my shift and list of responsibilities already."

Charlotte smiled and turned to look at Spock but spoke to the healer.

"Then if you have been assigned could you please assist Commander Spock? I have been attended to and I have yet to see him rest or eat. He has been shielding himself from me since I returned and I am unaware of his true state of health."

Charlotte was rewarded with a look of surprise from Spock, his eyes widened then narrowed. He opened his mouth only to be cut off by slight woman standing next to him.

"Is this true?"

Spock shifted before turning to T'Peni. Charlotte felt a small victory. Spock was so concerned about her that he had stopped his own self-preservation instincts. If he wasn't going to take care of himself she would do so for him. She had promised that much to Sarek.

"I have had numerous duties that have required my attention over the past several days." He said evenly.

T'Peni pushed past his excuse with such clinical precision it was only equal to Dr. McCoy's ability. Charlotte started to gain a small amount of respect for T'Peni.

"As Miss Jones has stated that she has been cared for and I see the evidence to support her claim my next responsibility is currently standing next to me. Commander Spock, you have been through a trying ordeal these past few days. It is not shameful to take the time to heal therefore, I am placing you on medical leave for the next 48 hours."

Spock opened his mouth to argue but T'Peni put up a hand to forestall him. Charlotte appreciated the woman's no-nonsense attitude. Charlotte needed Spock right now. Though she was loath to admit it, she needed his support and clearly he needed hers. Apparently, T'Peni picked that up too and hit Spock where it hurt.

"Your bondmate also needs you."

Spock looked toward her and she watched as his features softened. His shoulders lowered fractionally and he took a deep breath.

"Agreed. I will adhere to your recommendations."

T'Peni gave a curt nod to them both before leaving with instructions for Spock to see her in the morning for an exam. Charlotte was watching as her husband (oh, God. Now she was referring to him as her husband!) returned from seeing the Healer off. He was carrying a tray containing two large dishes of vegetable stir-fry with drinks. The sight made Charlotte gave him a tentative smile as she positioned herself so that he could sit next to her. He positioned the tray between them and kept his distance.

"Hey." She said quietly.

His eyes turned to hers and it was then that she was able to see the depth of his pain and fear.

"I'm fine. Thank you." She put a hand on his arm but felt it stiffen and she moved to gently rub up and down. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath and Charlotte felt his shields lower. His relief was palpable as was his exhaustion and a deep undercurrent of anger and guilt.

"I am pleased." He mumbled.

He turned and began to eat and she followed suit. It was quiet and almost awkward but tolerable. Once they finished Spock went to leave. Charlotte had a feeling that he would shut himself off. She needed to let him know.

"Spock, don't go."

His body jerked as he stopped at the door and he slowly turned around. She knew what he was feeling. The guilt was overpowering as he looked at her.

"It wasn't your fault. What Jacobs did was not your fault. Not being able to find him is not your fault. You found me. You saved me. Let me save you."

She put out her arms and was pleasantly surprised to have them filled with his body as he joined her on the bed. She could feel his tension melting away as he held her just as tightly as she held him.

"I nearly lost you. I lost my mother right in front of me and the same nearly happened to you. I do not know what I would have done had that been the case."

She gently stroked his back and kissed the top of his head.

"I know and I'm sorry."

They held each other for several more hours before they fell asleep together, arms and legs intertwined, holding each other as if their lives depended on it and in a way maybe it did.


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: I wanted this chapter to be longer but I'm struggling to write it for some reason. I know what I want to say but not how to say it. I need a beta! Someone to bounce ideas off of and help me to get the story flowing. I know that it's starting to get a bit obvious with this chapter who the villains are. Sorry for that. Anyone notice how it was Charlotte's harness that was damaged and not Spock's? Also, how did they know where Charlotte and Spock were going on their attempted shore leave? Charlotte will be taking a slight backseat to the action over the next few chapters. As always, I adore reviews. It helps to motivate me and I also want to say sorry for the long time between updates. **

**Tishbing**

Chapter Twenty-Two

Captain Kirk sat in his ready room reading through the preparations needed to be able to leave Space Station Jupiter One from around Earth. The upgrades to the communications array should be complete by tomorrow and he breathed a sigh of relief at that knowledge. The Jupiter staff worked well with Lt. Cmdr. Scott in holding with the title of miracle workers. Since the abduction of one of his crew members he felt uneasy. Especially considering it had not only been Spock's significant other but she was also a member of the Enterprise's medical staff. Even in times of war medical staff were never touched.

"Sir?"

Kirk turned to the sound, jerking out of his morbid thoughts. A young blond yeoman in her red uniform walked over. She handed him a set of PADDs ready for his signature. He scanned the documents and noted a new arrival that had been slated for internship aboard the Enterprise.

"Yeoman, I thought we weren't able to devote the time to the internship program this year? I remember Lt. Uhura telling me she couldn't spare the time in communications."

He looked up at the girl and waited. She shifted from one foot to the other, almost nervously before replying.

"I set up a new training schedule to be able to spread the work associated with the internship program so that it doesn't monopolize the senior and heads of staff's time but so that the cadet will be able to benefit from the experience. I sent the form to Commander Spock and he approved it, Sir."

Kirk was impressed. Ever since Nero the program had been placed on hold because it was almost impossible to fill all the necessary starship and station posts, let alone being able to train the next generation. He quickly skimmed the report and saw the schedule was skillfully applied so that the young cadet would be tactfully placed in each specialty long enough to gain the experience but short enough to where he should not get bored if he decided that field of work wasn't for him.

"This is amazing. Thank you, Miss..."

He trailed off, feeling his face burn at not remembering the girl's name. He remembered she was relatively new in communications under Uhura. But he couldn't put a name to her.

"Karidian." She offered, smiling.

"Thanks. It's been a long couple of days. I'll get these back to you in a couple of hours."

She gave him a bright smile and left him to the paperwork.

McCoy scowled at the young Vulcan doctor who was being shown around the...no his medical bay. He was loath to admit it but he did appreciate the extra set of hands, however, it was supposed to be him that chose his staff. He had nothing personal against this woman but something about her put his teeth on edge. Maybe it was the fact that she had been able to get Spock to realize his limitations whereas McCoy had not.

He pulled up the file on T'Peni and browsed through her history. She had studied at the Vulcan Science Academy and gained her MD through them but had elected to supplement her studies at Harvard Medical School in psychiatry gaining a Phd. Impressive in it's own right but in addition to her medical degree...he continued reading until a sharp knock at his door interrupted his research.

"Doctor McCoy?"

He quickly minimized the screen and looked up to see the current object of his research looking at him with large brown eyes, her arms crossed as she scrutinized him. He stiffened under her gaze and gave her a short nod. She took that as a cue to walk into his office and took a seat across from him. Though her back was ramrod straight, she almost seemed...relaxed. McCoy took a moment to look her over better. He had not had a chance to get to know her since she had been assigned the previous night. All he had received was a notice from the Vulcan council and Starfleet assigning her to the Enterprise medical staff. Their excuse was the staffing was inadequate because of the lack of experienced doctors in the fleet and Jim hasn't said anything to him, yet. He may just be a simple country doctor but he knew that the timing was damn suspicious. If she was here for some ulterior motive and put his patients at risk then she was gonna be sorry. He wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth though. He was going to take advantage of an extra set of hands. The crew physicals was due at the end of shore leave and it'd make things go faster with a third doctor.

"I was wanting to get a chance to meet you. I haven't had much of a chance with everything going on and I want to welcome you to the Enterprise." He stated firmly.

He quickly typed up a schedule set alongside his with the semi-annual physicals scheduled. The patients assigned to her were the more junior crewmembers while he handled the senior staff. She took the offered PADD and glanced at it quickly before returning his gaze.

"Thank you. I believe these assignments will allow me time to become acquainted with the crew. I look forward to becoming a member of your team. I enjoyed working with humans during my stay on Earth."

McCoy raised an eyebrow in surprise. He didn't expect her to accept his authority so readily. He had seen her age and qualifications. She was a good thirty years his senior and had twice the amount of experience he had but she was looking at him with an almost human expression of respect.

"Uh...alright. Have you been shown around the medbay?" He asked.

"Yes, however, I have not seen the Enterprise. Perhaps you would be willing to give me a tour of the ship?"

His face flushed in embarrassing heat and he started to sputter as he watcher her lips quirk in amusement at his attempts to talk.

"Perhaps after our shift tonight. I believe the Commander will be coming in later this morning for an exam and your head nurse, Miss Chapel, stated that a young cadet will be coming in this afternoon so that he may be cleared for duty to begin his internship when we leave Earth tomorrow morning."

It had been a long time since he had felt a little out of his element. He gave her a small smile.

"That sounds great. I'll handle the majority of the preliminary work-up on cadet..."

He pulled up the file to see a youthful brown-haired man. His file seemed incomplete but had enough of the basics to get started.

"Riley. I'd welcome the assistance to help you acclimatize to Starship procedure if you don't mind. He should be arriving here around 1400 hours."

"That is adequate."

He jerked his head in acknowledgement and T'Peni took that as her cue to leave. She took the PADD with her assignments and walked out of his office. McCoy watched her leave, his eyes following her as the vulcan was met by Dr. M'Benga and Chapel. Once they moved to the main area of sickbay, he returned to his paperwork to update the charts and send out appointment notices to the staff but his eyes kept straying to his newest staff member. He was almost looking forward to getting to know her.

Spock felt a warm weight on his chest, pleasant and peaceful. He opened his eyes and sighed in sleepy contentment at the sight. Charlotte's head was resting on his chest, her slender arm wrapped around his chest and their legs entwined. He felt their bond humming gently and the steady rise and fall of her chest assured him that she was in a deep and restful sleep. He raised a hand to gently brush away her blonde curls and looked at her face, so peaceful and relaxed in slumber. There were no lines of stress, no flush of red in her cheeks in anger, just peace. He moved his arms to hold her. He didn't know how long she would allow him this so he decided to take advantage of the situation for the time being.

It was a full ten minutes before the first stirring of consciousness reached Charlotte. He felt her arms tighten on him briefly and she slowly pushed herself up. He had to force himself to relinquish his grip on her as she extricated herself from him.

"Good morning." She mumbled sleepily.

"Good morning, Charlotte. Did you receive adequate rest?" He asked quietly.

She smiled and her face flushed in color but Spock could see a difference. It was not in anger or because she was upset. It was in pleasure and some small embarrassment. The color was astonishingly reminiscent of the sands of Vulcan. An almost golden red that spoke of home.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I used you as a pillow. I know you're not big on the touching thing. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

He raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

"I assure you I was not uncomfortable. On the contrary, your presence was quite acceptable and I would be welcome to you...using me as a pillow in the future as long as you feel it is alright."

Her grin widened and she turned away, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"I think that'd be ok."

A warm feeling settled in his chest at her words and he nodded, his lips quirking in a semblance of a smile. Charlotte began to shift in the bed and moved to get up but he quickly placed a hand on her arm to stop her. Her bright blue eyes looked into his, questioning him.

"You are supposed to be resting. As I am on leave for the next 36 hours and 27 minutes please allow me to care for you."

Charlotte's mouth opened slightly but it closed with a small snap and a smile.

"Uh...ok." She said hesitantly.

He nodded his satisfaction and rose to collect her breakfast from the replicator utilizing the tray from last night. He looked up the records from her previous meals and noted that her tastes have been varied and opted for a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and a banana along with juice. Satisfied with his selection, he returned to see the young woman still in bed as he had hoped but she was attempting to wrestle her hair into a tie, unsuccessfully.

"I do not believe that you will succeed in your endeavors. Perhaps it would be best if you accepted defeat until after you have eaten. You look acceptable as you are."

He meant it too. Her hair was a curly, unruly mass framing her heart shaped face. It was endearing seeing her almost vulnerable. She scrunched her face in mild irritation causing a small winkle to show on the bridge of her nose before she huffed and brought her hands down to accept the tray.

"You're right. You know that you're spoiling me right now? Breakfast in bed?"

Spock moved to sit next to Charlotte as she started to eat noting that she didn't flinch or move away. Perhaps, in a way, this whole tragedy brought them closer. He would have preferred their bond to have been forged under more favorable circumstances however, he was grateful for it. Waking with his wife in his arms, safe and content, was an experience he was planning to repeat for a long time to come.

"I am not spoiling you. I am simply following doctors orders and assisting you in any way that is needed to comply with said orders."

Charlotte shook her head smiling.

"Thanks. How are you doing?"

"I am fully recovered emotionally and physically. My concern is with you. Are you in any pain?"

He reached out a hand to gently trace the yellowing bruises on her cheek as if to assure himself that she was healing. Though he could see it, there truly was no substitute for actually feeling it, touching her to let himself be grounded and secure in knowing his adun'a was healing. Charlotte leaned into his touch, shivering slightly and placed a hand over his causing their bond to thrum with energy. A shy smile graced her lips and she looked at him through lowered eyelashes.

"I'm fine."

She lowered her hand and looked away. Once the contact was broken Spock suddenly felt cold. He moved closer to Charlotte in confusion.

"How did you find me? You know...when Michael had me?" She whispered.

He could feel the fear of the answer and he leaned over her and wrapped an arm around her back using his free hand to grasp her chin to tilt it towards him. He tried to look into her eyes but they were staring off and to the right of him. He closed the distance and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of her lips.

"I heard you."

Her eyes snapped to meet his and widened showing just how vivid a blue they truly were.

"I will always hear you. Always."

And that was all she needed to hear as she wrapped her arms around him and he leaned in to deepen the kiss. He drifted his hands back to her hair and cradled her head as she tilted and opened her mouth at his gentle probing with his tongue. His hands carded through the soft curls and he gently moved his tongue in her mouth, caressing her tongue and exploring the cool sensations of her. She cooled him and at the same time tempered him. He could feel the tension building at his core and he did not want to stop but he knew he must. Charlotte was still so very fragile.

He pulled away slowly and took in the sight of her. Her eyes half-lidded and lips were swollen from their kiss. If it was any indication, then she didn't want to stop either.

"I must leave for an examination with Healer T'Peni and you must rest."

She swallowed slowly and gave a small nod. The compliant behavior after their kiss almost made Spock feel smug. His lips quirked at the thought and he left to attend to his day.


	23. Chapter 23

**AN : Hi! Ah! Now it is the beginning of the set ups an meetings. There will be more Tarsus IV backstory as time goes on. Tarsus warnings apply. There is a good reason Kirk doesn't recognize Jones. It will be "explained" as things happen in the next chapter. McCoy is not all bad, he's just frustrated that he is in the dark. He has a desperate compulsion to help and he hates being denied a chance to do that. Please read and review! Reviews make me happy!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sickbay was a hive of activity as the Enterprise was preparing to leave orbit. The nurses and orderlies were running around checking equipment and putting away supplies as time was limited to double check their stockpiles. They had been expecting more time but circumstances change. Kirk was grateful that his crew was adaptable. He looked at his PADD one more time that contained T'Pau's short message and walked to his CMO's office.

As he started to knock on the door, he noticed that there was a young cadet in the office speaking with the doctor. He was still dressed in his academy reds and looked distinctly uncomfortable. His face was as red as the uniform and he was running a hand through his short brown hair in what was clearly frustration and embarrassment. McCoy was pointing at his computer and was almost as upset but was reigning it in with an impressive amount of control...well, impressive for McCoy which meant he was close to vaulting over his desk and shaking the young man but was holding that impulse in.

There was something familiar about the cadet but with him being so far away Kirk couldn't quite place him. He narrowed his eyes and studied him. The way he moved and his features looked so familiar it was unnerving. He didn't see the name on the roster yet but he made a note to have a look at the cadet's file.

"Captain? Is everything ok?"

Kirk jumped at the intrusion and turned to see a Vulcan woman and Nurse Chapel. Both women were scrutinizing him with a clinical eye, in particular Bones' head nurse. He quickly threw his hands up in mock surrender.

"I'm not hurt. I just wanted to see the doctor for a quick visit but as he's busy..."

He trailed off and Chapel came up next to him while the vulcan doctor stepped away. Both Kirk and Chapel turned their gaze back to the office.

"That's cadet Kevin Riley, in case you were wondering. The doctor's not too happy about some of his medical records being incomplete and he's trying to get the kid to tell him why."

It hit Kirk like a ton of bricks. He felt like someone was squeezing his chest as he looked closer at the young man. He had seen him before. Many years ago. Kevin was a living ghost from a past that Starfleet and he had tried to hide and bury. They weren't the only ones but Kevin was only one out of four of the nine who had revealed their true names to each other. Even Kirk had used a code name to hide his true self. They had been so afraid. Afraid that it would have been more real if they had known each other's true identities. That it would follow them to their dying day. It had been a childish thought, to hide themselves in anonymity. Starfleet had been able to find out who they were once they had finally arrived but had respected their wishes for privacy. Each child had left behind their innocence on that colony.

Kirk waited in the main area of sickbay for another fifteen minutes before Bones' office door opened to deposit the red-faced cadet. Kirk stood to the side, out of sight, and watched as Riley left. He'd deal with that later. First, he had to talk to Bones about his new staff member. He shoved thoughts of Riley aside and gave himself a shake before walking back to the office. He smiled and knocked on the door and went in before McCoy even acknowledged his presence.

He leaned on the desk with a smile while Bones was stabbing at a PADD with more force than was necessary. His ever-present scowl was on his face and he was as red-faced as the young cadet who had left earlier.

"What's up Bones?"

McCoy grunted in response and Kirk pulled out the PADD containing T'Pau's message and passed it to his friend. He waited while McCoy's eyes scanned the document.

"T'Pau was the one who requested T'Peni to be stationed here. She has some sway with the Starfleet Command and was cashing in a few favors. Family is important to her."

McCoy snorted and put the PADD aside and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I just don't like my staff being manipulated. At least she's competent."

Kirk nodded in agreement but his thoughts wandered back to Riley and his face turned into a frown.

"Bones."

"Hmm?"

He leaned across the desk to look McCoy in the eye. He wanted him to know how serious he was.

"I don't think you should be digging into Riley's history too much."

The doctor's face turned bright red as he scowled at his friend.

"And why not? There could be something important in there that I need to know. As his doctor, I have to have a complete history on all of my patients. It could be relevant to his care." He snarled.

"Bones, there are just some things that are best left buried. You know this from trying to access my records. There's a reason they're sealed and though you might not like it, it hasn't affected any of my care and I'm sure it won't affect Riley's care."

McCoy grabbed his medkit from the floor next to his desk and stood up quickly.

"Well thank you for your assessment. What would I know? All I am is a doctor. If you'll excuse me, captain, I have a house call to make."

Kirk felt bad for keeping things from Bones but sometimes the truth was too much. He didn't want to think how his friend would react to knowing that he was a survivor of Tarsus IV. It was in the past and Kirk didn't dwell on the past.

Charlotte was reading an introduction to learning vulcan when her door chime went off. Her foot had been tapping a nervous rhythm for the past hour and she was feeling stir-crazy being in her quarters. The gentle beeping of the wrist monitor only served to up her irritation at forced rest. She felt like her skin was crawling with pent up energy. She supposed it had to do with dealing with the aftermath of Michael. She felt safe now that she was back on the Enterprise but he was still out there and that was what scared her.

"Come." She stopped her tapping.

Dr. McCoy came bustling in and was holding his medical kit almost like a barrier. His expression was neutral but she could see lines of tension around his eyes.

"How are you feeling today?"

McCoy pulled out his tricorder with the wand and moved to scan her, focusing on her head and abdomen.

"I'm fine. A little antsy, though." She grimaced a smile.

The doctor just hmphed and continued to read the instrument, not meeting her eyes.

"What's wrong?" She hesitated.

McCoy shook himself and quickly looked up.

"Oh...nothing's wrong. The babies look good, no placental abruption, blood pressure's holding steady. Pulse is a little high, though."

He frowned and tapped at the screen to confirm but Charlotte put her hand on his.

"No. I mean what's wrong with you?"

Charlotte leaned forward to meet him face on. He sighed and put down his tools.

"I'm just having some problems with that new cadet we're getting. Some of his records are missing or have been forged and not well enough to hide the tampering and he won't come clean about it."

Charlotte's eyebrows pulled down as she thought about it.

"First, I didn't know we were taking on a cadet. Second, that's a little unusual for records to be missing or sealed. Starfleet's a stickler or accurate documentation especially in medical records. Have you asked the cadet about it?" She questioned.

McCoy rolled his eyes in exasperation and answered.

"Of course I asked Riley about it. The damn kid's stubborn as a mule. Maybe you could talk to him since you're off-duty. He might relax and not feel put under pressure since you're not in uniform."

Charlotte felt the blood drain from her face and was suddenly cold.

"Kevin Riley?" She murmured.

McCoy's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he moved closer to her.

"Yeah. How'd you know that?"

He picked up the scanner to take a repeat reading but Charlotte pushed it away.

"I'm fine. Just...I just think that you should leave Riley alone. There are some things best left buried in the past."

Charlotte sat at her window with her sister Molly and looked at the brown landscape. They were waiting. Hidden under their dresses, they each had a loaf of bread and an apple that they had managed to save. Their father had been careful with their rationing once he had worked out what Kodos had done. They had been spared. They had been on the survivor list.

It had been completely by chance that Molly had seen him. A small boy of about six had been digging under the rocks at the edge of the wooded area behind their house. It was when they had scurried over to him that they knew there were survivors from the initial "revolution".

Kodos had instituted complete control over the colony's food supply making it impossible to ever feel full. Martial law had been enacted to where they were watched at all times. They told their father what they had seen and he explained to them, in terms two twelve year old girls could understand, what had happened.

John Jones told them that to be better people that they had to help. They can't let anyone else die because of a madman. Every meal John, Charlotte and Molly put away half of their food and wrapped it in the hopes of seeing the boy again. Their dad watched out front for the guards while the girls watched out back for the boy.

Darkness had come upon them the next time they saw him and they knew that this was their chance.

"Come on!" Molly hissed.

Her sister grabbed her hand and they went into the night, careful to not be seen. Their footsteps were muffled by the dying vegetation as they ran. The little boy was nothing more than a living skeleton. His cheeks were sunken in and his brown eyes were impossibly large in fear. He turned to run but Charlotte was faster and she leaped the last few steps to tackle him to the ground. He made an effort to cry out but Charlotte slapped her hand across his mouth.

"Shhh. We're trying to help you. We have food." She whispered quickly.

The boy stilled in her grip and Charlotte looked up to see Molly was picking up what she had dropped in her desperate tackle. She chanced letting the child go when Molly moved closer with the food in her hands and held it out where he could see it.

"We don't have much but we can leave some hidden here each day."

The boy's eyes watched them warily as he slowly stretched a wasted arm to the bread and two small apples.

"I'm C.J. and this is my sister M.J. What's your name?"

The child snatched the food and held it close, clearly distrustful of them before answering.

"Riley...I'm Kevin Riley."

"It's good to see you, Kevin Riley. You are so brave." Molly breathed.

Little Kevin simply nodded and ran before they could say anything else. Molly's breathing hitched and Charlotte could see tears streaming down her cheeks as her own vision swam.

It went on for two weeks of them leaving food for little Kevin and his group of survivors before they were found out.

A loud banging on their door was the only warning before it was kicked down. John, his eyes wide and fearful turned to his two daughters.

"Hide!"

Molly grabbed her hand and they moved to the back room. They could see but not be seen. They trembled as the living room filled with soldiers, their guns trained on their father. Another man walked in. He had red hair and a mustache under a hook nose. His mouth was twisted in a snarl as he looked at their father. John stood proud, defiant even as he clearly knew his death was inescapable.

"Why have you betrayed us? You are condemning the rest of us to death." The man asked calmly, almost as if he was commenting on the weather.

The red haired man's fist shot out and connected with their father's face. His head snapped back and he stumbled into the guard behind him who shoved him back. John went to his knees, spitting blood from his mouth at his attacker's feet.

"Who the hell are you and what right do you have to kill innocent people?" John snarled.

The man slowly took a phaser pistol out of his holster and held it to his head. Charlotte whimpered in fear but her sister stifled it by wrapping a hand around her mouth. She could feel Molly's staggered breathing on the back of her neck.

"I am Governor Kodos. Those innocent people are unworthy. They represent a danger to the well-being of the more useful members of the colony. Clearly, so do you."

Charlotte could only watch in horror as Kodos pulled the trigger. Her scream stuck in her throat and her sister pulling on her arm to get her to move. Her father falling to the ground, dead.

"Come on! We have to go!" Molly gasped.

They wiggled out the window and ran as if the hounds of hell were on their trail and they were. Kodos's men chased them for hours before giving them up for dead.

McCoy's face twisted in irritation at Charlotte's non-answer and he slammed his equipment back into the case.

"Damn it! That's what Jim said. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Charlotte's neck and cheeks flushed in irritation as she returned his gaze. She shook her head.

"It means that the past is the past. I don't know what the captain knows about Riley but if it's what I know, then it's up to them to tell you. It's not my place."

McCoy looked angry enough to spit fire and Charlotte wouldn't have been entirely surprised if he had but it wasn't her place. Starfleet had made sure that her and her sister's history on that planet had never come out. Her father had never existed...on paper after that day.

"You know. Don't you? You and Jim."

Charlotte looked away and McCoy knew that she knew.

"You need to tell me."

He put a hand on her shoulder and his face softened.

"I can't."

"I could make it an order."

McCoy had never pulled rank on her before. Her eyes flashed dangerously in warning and his hand fell away in surprise.

"I'm not on duty. You can't order me to do anything."

Charlotte crossed her arms stubbornly and set her jaw. McCoy stood and stomped to the exit. He pointed to her.

"We're not done talking about this."

He punched the button to open the door and turned back to Charlotte.

"You're still off duty but you can move around. No exercising though. I'll see you tomorrow."

He stormed out and only when the door closed did she feel safe enough to breath a sigh if relief. The doctor may have not learned anything from her but she learned plenty from him. She needed to talk to both Kirk and Riley. The captain clearly knew about Riley so it stood to reason that he would know what to do.

Cadet Kevin Riley stomped from the medical bay, his heart pounding and his face flushed. He was so frustrated that it would still follow him. He had decided that he wasn't going to let Tarsus IV define him. He wanted to lead his own life and he felt that Tarsus wasn't part of it. He didn't want someone who wasn't a part of that horror to try and understand him. To try and help him when they couldn't understand.

He barely noticed where he was going when he ran into a small woman. He literally bounced right off her causing her to fall onto the ground and scatter her numerous PADDs. Her long blond hair askew from the fall. He ran forward to help her up.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. Here. Let me help."

The woman flushed a bright red and let him help her with her strewn documents. She smiled and looked him over and Riley couldn't help but blush under her gaze.

"Uh...I'm Cadet Kevin Riley."

"Yeoman Lenore Karidian."

She smiled and shook his hand. She shuffled her PADDs and held one out for him.

"I was actually looking for you but it seems you found me. Here's your assignment postings and quarter listings. I will probably see you tomorrow at communications."

She gave him a blazing smile which he returned, full of enthusiasm.

"I look forward to it."

He watched as she left, her hips swaying and had to shake his head before walking away. He grinned as he started to relax and thought that maybe this training mission would get better as time went on.


	24. Chapter 24

**Hi! Here's Chapter 24! I hope it's alright! I love hearing from everyone so please review! You know you want to! Press that little button at the bottom and make me happy! I even welcome PM's! I adore hearing from you! Thank you so much for reading!**

**tishbing**

Chapter Twenty-Four

Charlotte leaned back and stretched. Her PADD slipped from her lap and clattered to the floor. The past few days had been frustrating to say the least. She had been rebuffed by the Captain's yeoman for a meeting and Riley had been ignoring her repeated messages. Adding to her irritation, Dr. McCoy had been throwing in questions regarding Riley at every appointment for the last five days. Even Spock had noticed something was up. He was concerned for her stress levels and was semi-content to believe that it was a remnant from her time with Michael.

She slid off the couch and picked up her PADD to type up another message for the cadet. She decided that if he didn't reply by alpha, in the morning, then she was going to pay him a visit. It wasn't a huge ship so he couldn't avoid her forever. Charlotte looked at the chrono and saw that it was well into Beta shift so Spock should be home soon. Things had been going well and she hated to admit it but he was fun to be around. He had been taking great pleasure in her attempts to learn the vulcan language. It was almost cute the way his lips quirked in a half-smile as she tried and utterly failed to pronounce the simplest of words. She couldn't even say their last name. He did explain that his mother had still struggled to say the clan name even after living on Vulcan for more than twenty years.

The door to their quarters opened to admit a very disgruntled vulcan. Spock's eyebrows were drawn and his eyes looked like he was miles away. He had blocked the bond from her earlier in the day but she had thought it was because of her thoughts and feelings as of late but clearly that wasn't the case.

"Spock, what's wrong?"

His eyes landed on her and he was looking at her closely but he shook his head to negate Charlotte's inquiry but she wasn't going to let it go that easily. He went into his room and returned wearing only his regulation blacks. He looked tired and frustrated.

"Seriously, what is wrong?" She insisted.

He sat down on the couch and she moved to join him and placed a hand on his arm, careful to avoid skin contact if it was her emotions causing him stress. He took a deep breath and turned to her with a nod.

"I fail to understand why you will not provide Dr. McCoy with the information he is requesting from you in regards to the cadet. He has taken to questioning me as well now."

He placed a hand over hers and squeezed, his lips thinning for a moment before continuing.

"You also will not tell me about this link between yourself and cadet Riley. Why is this?"

His eyes were wide and imploring as he looked at her. She bit her lip and decided that after everything that they had gone through lately that maybe he deserved to know. To be able to better understand why the doctor was bugging him. He had, yet again, shown patience with her in respecting her boundaries.

"Ok, but you have to understand something first. This conversation cannot be related to Dr. McCoy. It is private and Starfleet wanted it to stay that way. We're the only ones who can identify him. Who know the full truth."

Spock nodded and waited for her. It felt like a weight was sitting on her chest and she really didn't want to tell him. It was bad enough having lived it but to have to talk about it was something else. It was like remembering in vivid technicolor.

"Have you ever heard of Tarsus IV?"

He gave a jerk of his head in affirmation and spoke of what he knew.

"A farming colony. It was a tragedy of epic proportions when the crops failed due to a fungal infection. Within a month 90% of the colony's farming resources were beyond rescue and all that was left was the stockpiled supplies in storage that had been provided by the Federation. The colonist's leaders were ousted in a coup d'état that resulted in their deaths and the new leader was known as Governor Kodos, also referred to as Kodos the executioner. The forces that helped him gain power imposed martial law and Kodos decreed that half of the colony be sentenced to death to save the other half. He hand picked those that would survive and those that would die using his own eugenics beliefs. Help for the colony arrived too late to save the half on his kill list. The rest is speculative and not public knowledge."

It was times like this that she almost appreciated having Spock around. He was like a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. It made explaining things simpler.

"I was there."

She stood and let his hand fall away as she began to pace.

"My sister and I were there to spend the summer with our father. It was meant to be good for us."

She snorted in derision and could feel her eyes stinging with the beginnings of tears. She blinked them back and took a deep breath. She had to continue now that she had started.

"We didn't see the executions. They were done in the night and far away. We had been told by the soldiers that there had been a supply drop from Starfleet and that they needed help to get to it. That it would be best to keep the families of those going to collect it together as it would take a long time to get to it. We believed them. Our naïveté was our undoing. Together, we would have stood a chance to defend ourselves."

Her hands clenched into fists and her shoulders shook as the memories flooded through her.

"We were on the survivor list. My sister and I found little Kevin on our property and found out from him what had happened. We gave him a portion of our food every day in secret. We gave him as much as we could even though it was killing us. We found out from him that there was a group of eight children that had survived the executions."

She was shaking at that point.

"We were found out about two weeks later and then the soldiers came. They killed our father in front of us while we hid. We ran and ran until we couldn't run any more."

Her legs were trembling and Spock moved quickly to help her sit at the dining table.

"What happened then?"

Charlotte closed her eyes. That had not been the end.

"We were found by a pair of children by the river. My sister was trying to find edible mushrooms and worms. Their names were Evelyn Eames and Daniel Moulton. They were part of Kevin's group and they took us in. Kevin had told them about us being discovered. He had seen our house be burned to the ground and saw us run but he was too scared to do anything other than hide. It was then that a group of the oldest boys went to try and get help. The only communications array was at the complex where Kodos was."

She fiddled with the long blouse and worried the fabric. Spock placed a hand over her fidgeting fingers. She looked up and could see encouragement in his dark brown eyes. She didn't see pity and that was what she had been expecting. She didn't know what it was but it helped her press on.

"The three boys had been missing for three days. Their names were Sam, J.T. and Thomas. We decided that they must have failed and so we decided to go after them. We had to try again. Kevin was the fastest runner and my sister and I were the strongest because we had not suffered as long as them. Daniel joined us but the rest were too weak.

We went late at night and Kevin found an entrance near the cellar where we got in. He was thin enough to get through the bars of the window and he unlocked the door to let us in. There were tons of phaser rifles and we armed ourselves. Daniel showed us how to use them and we snuck out."

She choked back a sob and shook her head. The memories were so frightening. The feel of her heart pounding, the fear of being caught, of being shot like her father. Spock pulled her into his ams sensing her distress and petted her hair. He gently kissed the top of her head and held her while she tried to get herself under control. It had been years ago. It shouldn't still hurt and scare her like this.

"Charlotte, just because it happened a long time ago does not mean that it will cease to be painful. If you wish, you do not need to tell me any more."

She nodded into his chest and held onto him.

"I'll tell you another time. Soon."

The past seemed like a more distant memory in his strong arms. She felt his fingers brush against her temple and heard a small whisper before her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Spock watched as Charlotte fell asleep and once he was sure she wouldn't wake, he picked her up and carried her to her bed. He was mindful of her swelling stomach and made sure she was tucked in before he went to his computer. He pulled up Charlotte's medical file and studied it in detail. He frowned in puzzlement. There was nothing about Tarsus. It was well disguised and he wondered if Charlotte had hidden it or if it had been Starfleet. It was likely a mixture of the two. If that was the case, then why was Riley's records not adjusted as well as Charlotte's were.

Charlotte's PADD started beeping and he went to retrieve it from the couch. He saw that she had a message from the captain's yeoman confirming a meeting the following week. He assumed that it was to discuss the Riley/McCoy issue so he hit confirm and put the PADD on her nightstand before meditating on what he had heard. Charlotte was more broken than he'd previously assumed. It was going to take time before she would be able to fully heal from her past and recent events.

Kevin Riley looked at his messages and quickly deleted Nurse Jones' message. He had been getting enough from McCoy to try and talk about the missing data. He didn't need his nurse doing his dirty work as well. He had another day of duty at communications before getting to move on to helm and navigation. It was exciting being able to see real starship life. The academy had sims and lectures but it was nothing compared to actually getting to live it.

He made his way to the bridge and put the past behind him as the lift deposited him. The gleaming white walls and bright lights made him feel like he was a part of something bigger. Lt. Uhura was at he communications station and was alternately typing on a PADD and pressing buttons on the console. Her long fingers dancing over the board as she worked. She was always there before he arrived and long after he left. He had once volunteered to stay later but she had waved him off with a smile telling him to enjoy his time aboard ship. That soon enough he'd be working all hours of the day.

"Lieutenant." He smiled and waited.

She looked up from her work and handed him the PADD she had been working on.

"Hi Cadet Riley. It's the end of the our monthly rotation and I figured we'd give Miss Karidian a break and let you get a bit more intimate with the secondary communications array."

He looked at the PADD and noticed the forms and report files. The lieutenant was smiling as she moved to the turbolift.

"We need to run a full systems diagnostic and file away the message cache to document all incoming and outgoing communications. This includes internal messages."

They went down to deck twelve and being closer to the engineering section, the hum of the warp engines was more pronounced. The room was large and reminded Riley of a warehouse. One side was completely taken over by a computer system with several access terminals spaced evenly throughout the hall while the other side was the workplace stations complete with desk hubs and chairs. It was at the terminals that Uhura lead him to.

"Ok. How do you feel about running the show down here? The yeoman usually does this."

He smiled knowing this was a test.

"Anything to learn something new. I want to see things from the ground up." He replied.

She smiled and typed out the beginnings of the diagnostic sequence while he watched carefully.

"That's what I love to hear. You thinking about communications as your specialty? I saw your file and it listed your language skills. It was impressive."

He could feel heat creeping up his neck in pleasure as he nodded. Professors at the academy still spoke of Lt. Uhura with pride for her gifts at understanding the nuances of languages and technical skill. For someone like her to notice him was no small thing.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'm nowhere near your level, though."

She let out a musical laugh and finished the start-up of the report.

"I certainly hope not otherwise I'd be out of a job. You've been doing great here. I'd like for you to seriously consider continuing your studies focusing on xenolinguistics and communications. I'd welcome you on my team any day."

His grin was practically glued on at this point and he was almost stuttering his thanks when she was finishing the explanation of how to file away the monthly report.

The amount of data was massive but unsurprising considering the sheer number of staff on board. Numbers scrolled across the screen and the program slid each data set into the correct slot as he monitored it's progress.

"Hmm. What?"

His brows came together as he looked at the screen. A small number of communications had number sets but the actual data was either missing or corrupted. Uhura had explained that this was normal because sometimes duplicates occurred when a memo was sent or the computer mistakenly created two files instead of just one. He focused on pulling up the number sets and was successful at pulling the duplicates out and deleting them accordingly but there was still a large number of corrupted comm files. He put them aside for now and made a note to investigate them further as time would allow. The data set duplicates were only inter-departmental memos but these corrupted files were actual subspace messages to and from Earth as well as some from other various planets. One was Zeti-6 and Planet Q. It was unusual but not unheard of.

The hiss of the doors pulled him from his musing and he saw a small blond woman walking toward him. Her uniform wasn't the standard science blues and her middle had a small swell to it but her face looked very familiar. He shook his head and could feel his irritation grow as he recognized the medical emblem on her chest.

"Cadet Riley?" She asked.

He squared his shoulders and put on a pleasant face.

"Nurse Jones. I believe I have explained to Dr. McCoy my desires for things to remain private and I ask that you honor my request as well."

Her head tilted and she looked at him with sad blue eyes, tears swimming in the corners.

"I know. I'm here as a friend. Don't you recognize me?"

He squinted his eyes and moved closer to the nurse. He reached out and touched her cheek to turn her face. She let him and the fog started to lift. In his mind's eye, he saw her. A skinny teenager with sunken cheekbones and stringy, filthy blond hair, holding a phaser rifle and shaking in a stone cellar.

"C.J.?"

She nodded and put a hand over his before pulling him into a tight hug. He didn't know what to think as she held him. Her voice was muffled in his neck.

"You're due for lunch about now. Let's grab a sandwich and catch up."

He nodded numbly and she led him to one of the desks. He sat down and could feel his legs shaking. She went off to the replicator down the hall and returned with two trays of sandwiches and two glasses of juice.

"I wasn't sure what you'd want so I got you chicken salad and I got cheese and tomato."

He took the food and watched the nurse with a skeptical eye.

"Why are you here?"

She took a bite of her food before answering.

"I wanted to let you know that Dr. McCoy has taken to questioning me about you and tried to wheedle the information out of the captain as well."

Dislike of the doctor immediately flared and he struggled to push it down. He knew that if his past was discovered then he might not be able to move up in Starfleet. His psych profile and stability would be called into question.

"What did you say?" He asked thinly and she shrugged her shoulders.

"That it wasn't my story to tell and that he should let sleeping dogs lie. I don't know what the captain has to do with it but apparently he said the same thing."

He took a bite and swallowed. The sandwich was dry in his mouth and didn't seem to want to go down.

"He needs to mind his own damn business." He snarled.

C.J.'s arm shot out and rested on his shoulder. He let loose a breath and continued eating to fill the void. A lump forming in his throat. He felt hot and embarrassed at his anger.

"He's just doing his job, Kevin. He has a need to take care of people. It's the way that he is and when he sees something that doesn't make sense, he needs to find out what it is. It's what makes him an excellent doctor."

His tongue felt thick in his mouth and he pulled at his collar to loosen it. It felt like he couldn't breath. His hands started to sweat and felt itchy.

"Kevin?"

Her eyes widened as she looked at him and leaned forward. At least he thought she was leaning forward. His world seemed to be tilting and he was falling. All that left his mouth was a strangled grunt and panic started setting in. He couldn't breath. Bands tightened around his chest and he could hear her shouting. He was on the floor and she was looking down at him, her hair tickling his face. As he looked into her face he wondered if this was going to be the last thing he saw. He decided it wasn't so bad. At least she was beautiful in her terror.

Charlotte saw Kevin's face start to swell under her and she knew she had moments. His airway was closing. She pushed up and ran to the nearest communications wall and slammed a fist on the button.

"Jones to sickbay. Medical emergency! Deck twelve, section two. I've got a patient in what looks to be anaphylactic shock. I need a team here immediately."

She reached under the board and pulled out the emergency kit and saw it wasn't stocked properly. Her heart lodged itself in her throat as she rifled through it to only come up empty handed.

"Oh my god!"

She carried the mostly useless kit to the cadet and pulled out her scanner as she slammed onto her knees. The readings were dismal. His throat had swollen shut and his heart was rapidly entering tachycardia in a vain effort to bring oxygen to his brain.

"Damn it damn it _damn it_!"

She pulled out a hypospray and loaded a vial of triox compound. She quickly depressed the plunger and prayed. There was nothing she could do. He was dying in front of her. He pulled up his legs to elevate them as the symptoms flew threw her head. She continued to scan him with her free hand. Cyanosis - his lips were blue, myocardial ischaemia, decreased blood pressure-hypotension, urticaria-hives on his abdomen. She felt useless as she waited for help.

The doors finally opened to admit the medical team with Dr. T'Peni in the lead and they swooped down on Riley. Charlotte stepped back as they quickly gave him epinephrine and Chapel deftly attached an IV to administer chlorphenamine maleate and Hydrocortisone slow IV push. Charlotte could see his breathing slowly returning as they attached a respirator unit on him. She let loose a breath and her legs shook underneath her. The readings started to slowly improve and he was pinking up.

Chapel and Nurse Chen lifted Riley onto the stretcher and strapped him down before T'Peni turned to her.

"Charlotte? What are you doing here? Are you alright?"

T'Peni moved closer and looked her up and down and took her wrist and read the biosensor readout from the monitor still attached to her.

"Miss Chapel? Please bring Charlotte as well." She said curtly.

Distantly, she tried to protest but she couldn't say anything so she let Chris hook an arm around her and guide her along behind Riley on the stretcher. Was this her fault? She had given him the food that caused this. Why was the emergency kit so depleted? These questions burned through her mind all the way to sickbay.

Spock sensed Charlotte's rapidly fluctuating emotions but was in a staff meeting with the senior bridge crew and couldn't do anything. His only consolation was the fact that if she was injured or ill then he would be informed, meeting or not. Lieutenant Uhura was standing and leading the briefing.

"And so we will arrive at Cygnia Minor after picking up the scientist Thomas Leighton. The famine is still within safe levels but a more hands on approach has been recommended. He will be accompanied by his wife and together they will try to find a way to reverse the damage to the crops. Our part is to provide aid to the colony in the way of medical supplies and foodstuffs. Planet Q will have a large supply of relief equipment ready to supplement what we have on board and we will transport the scientists and supplies to the colony."

Uhura stepped back as Kirk moved forward to take over.

"I don't have to tell you all how important this is. First and foremost, Starfleet is a peacekeeping and humanitarian force. I expect every department to have a plan of action in place to assist Cygnia Minor. Engineering, I need a way to power everything that we send down, whether it's a life support machine or a tricorder charging station. Medical will be needed to asses the health situation and assist the teams already there. Security, I will want safety to be our top priority. There may have been panic and looters. Science, I want you to help the Leightons as much as possible. The rest of you, I will want a plan in place to be able to distribute supplies."

Kirk looked around the table and waited a beat for questions.

"Dismissed."

Spock stood and waited for the rest of the staff to exit the briefing room before approaching the captain. Kirk was looking out of the viewport, clearly lost in thought. He didn't wish to startle the man so he cleared his throat and waited. When he finally turned around, Kirk didn't look surprised.

"Captain, I have been meaning to speak with you in regards to the doctor."

Kirk ran a hand over his face and sat down heavily. He looked tired and his eyes flitted to the diagram of Cygnia Minor still on the screen.

"What about Bones?"

Spock shifted his stance and then decided that perhaps sitting would be more appropriate. Having the captain have to look up to see him may make his request seem more hostile.

"I need you to ask him to stop his questioning of Ensign Jones in regards to her link with Cadet Riley. He has taken to asking me as well. It is a painful topic for her and I do not enjoy seeing her upset."

He folded his hands on the table and waited for what he said to sink in. Kirk's eyes became unfocused for a moment and then narrowed. He frowned in thought.

"What does she have to do with Riley?" He muttered.

The question seemed to be more to himself than to Spock so he ignored it.

"She has requested a meeting with you to discuss it. I saw that the meeting is scheduled for next week. You may ask her then."

"Oh, I will. I'll talk with Dr. McCoy about the situation as well. I'll head down to see him later."

_"Sickbay to Commander Spock. Please come in."_

Spock jerked upright and touched the wall panel.

"Spock here."

_"Commander, your wife is down here and is fine. She was with another crew member when he became ill. She is upset but uninjured."_

Spock's brows furrowed.

"Who was the crew man?" Though he had a sneaking suspicion.

_"Cadet Riley, sir."_

Kirk moved forward to the comm panel.

"This is Kirk. We'll be down there in a minute."

He looked at Spock and straightened his shirt before striding out of the room.

Kirk walked quickly with Spock to the medical bay. He was curious about the link between Riley and Jones. He felt a flash of irritation at his yeoman for scheduling him so far out but he understood her reasoning. They were soon to arrive at Planet Q and would be overwhelmed with their mission.

The doors to sickbay admitted the men and Spock immediately went in search of Charlotte while he held back to look for McCoy. He spotted him leaning over a microscope with a pronounced frown. He sat up and typed on a PADD and then quickly adjusted the scanning range of the device. He walked up behind him and slapped him on the shoulder eliciting a furious sputtering tirade from the doctor.

"Bones! How's it going?" He threw on his most charming smile. The one he knew drove his friend nuts and he wasn't disappointed.

"Dammit Jim! I'm working here. I'm trying to figure out what happened to Riley and I don't get it."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair making it messier than it should be. Kirk frowned and leaned against the wall.

"What do you mean?"

McCoy picked up his PADD and pointed to the results.

"Look. Here it shows that Riley had a severe reaction to the peanut allergen ara h 2 which is a 17-kDa protein. Charlotte said he had a chicken salad sandwich that she brought him. That's a completely different protein structure. He should not have had that reaction. I tested Charlotte's blood as well and saw the same peanut allergen but she had a cheese and tomato sandwich. It's yet another type of protein that should not have those ingredients."

"Does Riley have a nut allergy?"

McCoy nodded his head and looked out to the main medical bay where Spock and Charlotte were speaking in hushed tones with Dr. T'Peni. Riley was still unconscious a few beds down and Chapel was checking his readouts.

"Did she get the food from the mess or the replicators?" Kirk asked.

"Replicator on deck twelve. I've already sent a report to engineering to check it out."

Kirk followed his glance and watched the sickbay. It was peaceful now but he saw his yeoman rushing in with a slightly panicked look on her face. She looked around the bay and her eyes settled on the resting cadet. She stiffened slightly before finding the captain and hurrying over.

"Sir, I have orders to increase our speed to Planet Q to pick up the scientists and supplies."

She handed him the orders and took a deep breath, the color high on her cheeks and her eyes were bright.

"Are you alright, yeoman?" He asked.

"Oh, yessir. I had just heard that Cadet Riley had died and...I'm so happy that the rumors weren't true."

She glanced back at the main bay for a moment and Kirk felt a little bad for her. They had been working closely for the past couple of days.

"Why don't you go and visit him? He should be up and around in a day or so thanks to Ensign Jones. She was there when he fell ill and made sure he received help quickly."

He put a hand on her shoulder and she grimaced a smile.

"I'll be sure to thank her."

She moved slowly and sat by Riley's bed. Captain Kirk turned to back to his friend who had been watching the exchange. His expression looked...calculating. His eyes were narrowed as he watched yeoman Karidian.

"Bones?"

McCoy startled and focused on Kirk.

"Sorry, what?" His eyes kept darting to the blond girl.

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't know. Something just seems off about that girl. Her reaction seemed...forced."


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Ok! Here's the next chapter. Charlotte's chat with Kirk and also a special scene requested by AussieMaelstrom who wanted to see sexytimes between Spock and Charlotte. This Vulcan knows how to comfort. I'm not the best at writing scenes like this so I hope it came out ok. The final part of tarsus IV trauma comes out so this chapter has that as well as adult rated activity. Please review if you like or if I should change anything. I wanted to add more but I figure I'll focus on that on the next chapter. Thank you so much everyone who is reading, reviewing, following and favoriting!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Twenty-Five

Spock saw Charlotte trembling on the biobed and even he had to admit that the sight of her upset was enough to emotionally compromise him. Therefore, he deduced that it was acceptable to display such things. He wrapped his arms tightly around her small form and held her. It helped confirm that he was doing the right thing when she reached for him and held him just as tightly.

"Thank you for coming. I'm sorry." She mumbled.

Spock pulled back and looked into her eyes. They were red rimmed from tears and the blue seemed subdued. She bit her lip and looked down, unable to hold his gaze. This would not do. He placed his thumb and forefinger on her chin and tilted her head up so he could see her and she could see him. He projected as much love as he could through there bond and knew he hit the mark when her eyes widened in understanding.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, ashaya."

Her eyes darted away and down but he didn't relinquish his hold on her chin.

"I almost couldn't save him. He nearly died right in front of me from something that is so easy to treat but I could do nothing."

He moved his hands to her shoulders and bent to her level.

"You _did_ do something. You got help for him. You gave him what medication that you could to assist him until that help arrived. He is here because of your actions today."

He pointed to the young cadet in the biobed across the bay and Charlotte looked at Riley with a watery smile. She turned back to Spock.

"Also, you did not leave him. Even if help had not arrived in time you did not shy away from his possible death and leave him to die alone. No-one should die alone and afraid."

He moved closer and she leaned in. She smelled of cherry blossoms and he placed a hand behind her head to support her as he pressed his lips to her. Her soft mouth submitted to his and he deepened the kiss when she opened her mouth, his tongue darting in to taste her and claim her as his.

"Ahem...now that I see you're feeling better, maybe it's time for Miss Jones to answer a few questions."

They sprang apart at the sound of Kirk's amused voice and Spock could feel Charlotte's embarrassment and frustration. He could see her face flush a burning red and Spock could feel his own cheeks heat in embarrassment as well. Spock had to suppress his urges as he was in public. It was a struggle and he stiffened and pulled his shirt straight to show the proper respect but his fists were clenched at his sides in frustration.

"Yes. We will continue our discussion tonight, Charlotte."

It was somehow possible for his adun'a to glow an even brighter red and Spock internally smiled at her reaction. He could feel her underlying attraction and interest in him and he hoped that she could feel his. He sincerely wished that he could completely take away her pain but he was at least able to show her that she was cared for and loved.

Charlotte swallowed in nervous anticipation and watched Spock walk stiffly from the room. He'd never moved beyond kissing and holding her but the way he had kissed her just now made her shiver. She didn't know if it was what he was feeling or what she was feeling but she needed to be closer to him. He was there for her in a way no-one else had been and she was beginning to suspect that she was really in love with him. For a while she had suspected that he loved her out of a sense of duty for what she had done to help him and then when he'd found out about the babies but now it was a whole different matter. He loved her for who she was.

"Miss Jones?"

Charlotte's head snapped around to see Kirk watching her intently. There was amusement in his eyes but also a seriousness that went beyond what he usually implied when he had spoken to her in the past.

"Yes?" She asked timidly.

"Let's take a walk." He held out his arm for her to take and she slid off the biobed and walked alongside him. She could see McCoy watching them with a curious frown and T'Peni almost mirroring the doctor's look.

They walked in silence for a time until they reached the observation deck. He stayed behind and waited as Charlotte walked in first. He, then followed and turned to the door. He pressed the keypad and set the lock with his command code and privacy mode. Charlotte watched him do this with a tense feeling in her stomach and she frowned.

"What are you doing?" She asked hesitantly.

He turned back to her with a sigh but his face was lined with determined resignation. There was also pain but it was well disguised.

"I'm making sure we can talk in private." He gestured to the benches lining the wall and she shuffled to sit. He ran a hand over his face and looked at her closely.

"What is your connection with Cadet Riley? And why is it you wanted to meet with me?"

Charlotte looked at her hands for a moment, trying to find a way to be vague but clear.

"I...I knew him when we were kids and..." She took a deep breath and looked out at the stars streaking by. It was calming, reminding her that out here, her problems were just a drop in a vast ocean even if they felt all consuming.

"I wanted you to ask Dr. McCoy to knock it off. The information he seeks is not necessary to either Riley's or my file. It's private and I'm not going to tell him." She set her jaw and focused on the captain next to her.

Kirk tilted his head as he watched her respond. He recognized the look that she was giving him. It was the same look that he had given Bones three years ago at the academy when he had first became his primary physician and noticed the records discrepancy.

"You were there." It wasn't a question. It was a statement and Charlotte knew it.

"I was nowhere." She hissed.

Kirk spun off of his seat and kneeled in front of her and grabbed her hands. She glared back daring him to try and make her talk.

"Oh, yes you were. I know that look. It's a defiant glare. There was someone you couldn't save and that's why Riley almost dying in front of you hurt." At her gasp he continued. "That's why you became a nurse. There was someone who died in front of you and had you had the knowledge you have now, you think you could have saved him."

His hands reached up to her biceps and tightened. She clenched her jaw and looked away, afraid to look in Kirk's eyes. He gave her a rough shake and almost shouted.

"Tell me I'm wrong." He shook her again until her gaze rested on him. "Tell me I'm wrong!"

She shoved him hard and he let go in surprise.

"You're not wrong. I couldn't save him!" She screamed back and him and a sob broke though. Kirk swooped in and pulled her to him. She could feel him stroking her hair and saying something but she needed to explain.

"My sister, Kevin Riley, Daniel Morton and I were part of a rescue team. A group of boys that had left before my sister and I joined their team had not returned from trying to access the communications array on Kodos' compound. We went after them."

Charlotte held the phaser rifle and was shaking. Her sister was only marginally better and was in front of her while they waited for Kevin to tell them to advance. Charlotte had seen an almost animalistic gleam in Daniel's face as he fired on the guards that were stationed in the halls, leaving them with smoking craters in their chests. The smell of burnt flesh made Charlotte gag but there was nothing in her stomach to come up.

"Alright, C.J., M.J. This way. They're still alive and in the room with the comm systems. They're being held there. Daniel says you both have to shoot. We have to get control of that room and barricade ourselves in. It's our only shot!"

Little Kevin spoke like an adult and it was heartbreaking to see him older than his six or seven years. Kodos had taken that from him and more. She couldn't sink to his level though.

"I won't kill, Kevin. Put the rifle on stun." She whispered.

His little face twisted in confusion as both Molly and her held their weapons to the boy and waited while he pressed the switches necessary to take the setting off kill.

"They'd kill you, you know? Probably rape you first and then kill you. That's what those monsters did to my parents. They don't deserve your kindness." He snarled.

"I won't be like them. I want to be better than that. We can be better than that." She insisted.

Riley just shook his head sadly and waved an arm for them to follow. They caught up to Daniel and with Charlotte on one side of the hall with Kevin and Molly with Daniel on the other side they crept up to an open area with a door being guarded by two men in camouflage fatigues. They were both holding the same weapons as them but unlike the children they were chatting to each other and not focused on their task. Charlotte could hear faint screaming coming from the room and her heart rate skyrocketed as adrenaline flooded her system.

Charlotte watched as Daniel counted on his fingers and she tightened her grip on her weapon. On three, all four of them opened fire and the two men dropped without a sound other than a muffled thump. They peeked around the corner and ran to the door. Charlotte could feel the blood pounding in her ears, her senses sharpened by her fear.

Daniel counted to three using just his fingers and they burst into the room to a nightmare. The smell of blood and burnt flesh assaulted Charlotte's senses and she retched in the corner. Once she collected herself, she saw the horrors in the room. Daniel and Kevin worked on barricading the room while Charlotte and Molly froze open-mouthed. On the floor were two boys. One had the entire side of his face burned and he was very still. The other was an older boy who was swollen and bruised nearly everywhere. His breathing was a gurgling gasp as blood trickled from his mouth.

After she tore her eyes from the two on the ground, she noticed a third chained to the wall. A young blond child about the same age as her. He wore a defiant expression and was clothed in little more than rags over his skeletal body. His lip was split and he had a black eye but he looked reasonably better than the two on the floor.

"Molly." She hissed. Her sister just stared straight ahead. "M.J.!" She said loudly.

Her sister snapped from her dazed staring and looked at her with haunted eyes.

"Help me. Get that boy down and I'll look at the one on the floor."

Charlotte didn't really know what to do other than basic first aid. She saw Daniel at the comm console typing frantically and Kevin looking around the room. Charlotte came up next to the older boy and reached to check for his pulse. It was barely there but before she could breath a sigh of relief it was gone.

"You need to help my brother! Please." The blond cried.

The blond boy had been released and was standing over her. His voice breaking with grief.

"This boy's still alive, too. What do I do?" Her sister cried from across the room where she was checking over the burned boy.

Charlotte placed her hands over his chest and started pumping. Her mind running through her last first aid course.

"Uh...I need a first aid kit. His heart has stopped." She said. The blond ran around the room and located one. Charlotte turned to her sister.

"You need to put a cool wet dressing over the burn. Not cold and it needs to be sterile. Keep his legs up."

The boy opened the kit and there was a large amount of gauze and sterile water, a few hypos that she didn't know what they were used for and a respirator.

"Put the respirator on your brother and turn it on. It'll try to breath for him."

The blond carefully put in on the boy's face and turned it on. She heard the seal click and saw his chest start to rise and fall.

"You saved him!"

Charlotte was still pumping but couldn't feel a heartbeat.

"Not yet."

She saw a tricorder but she didn't really know how to read one. She heard a muffled shout from Daniel and looked up to see the screen enlarged and showing a man in a Starfleet uniform glaring at Daniel and Kyle.

"I do not find this to be funny, young man. Now stop contacting us and put your parents on the line."

Daniel was rigid with fury and Kevin looked close to tears. The blond kid suddenly stormed across the room and stood in front of the screen. His blue eyes blazing with anger, his body tense and straight.

"Sir, I assure you this is not a joke! Look behind me."

The child tapped into the computer and had the camera pan over to Charlotte who was pumping the older child's chest, sweat glistening on her from her efforts and then to Molly who was applying the wet gauze to the other boy's face. He stepped back in front of the camera.

"That is Sam. My big brother who is dying and Thomas who is also very likely dying thanks to Kodos. He killed half of the colony and is hunting down those of us that survived! I sent out a message three days ago! Did you ignore that as a joke? I hate you Starfleet! Does this look like a joke? We're starving and dying because a madman has taken control!"

The man onscreen paled and Charlotte spared a glance to stare into his eyes. She hoped he would remember them to his dying day if he ignored them again.

A banging on the door brought them back to the moment. Charlotte heard the Starfleet man ordering his ship to them at maximum warp.

It was two hours before they got there. Sam had died. The boy J.T. Had shut down after Charlotte told him. There wasn't anything she could have done but she still felt the guilt to this day. Thomas had survived but was disfigured beyond repair. They had discovered that the fungus had been intentionally created by Kodos to try and create his own society.

Starfleet had labeled them the Tarsus 9 and separated them. For their own safety, they had claimed, because they had not been able to find a body. Kodos had escaped. They wanted the only witnesses to see Kodos to be kept safe. Starfleet had classified the incident in an effort to allow them some measure of privacy and Charlotte had never seen any of the other children again.

She finished telling Kirk her story and rubbed her face. It was stiff from the dried tears she had shed. She was exhausted. Telling him had been almost cathartic.

"That was why I went into the medical track. My sister was a technical genius and made sure we covered the holes Starfleet left in our records. We didn't want to have to relive this like I just had to."

Kirk took her hand and squeezed. Tears had fallen from him as well but he was smiling.

"I never knew who those two girls were." He said softly.

Understanding dawned and it shot through her, piercing her heart.

"Oh, God. You're J.T. I'm so sorry." Sobs tore through her. "I couldn't save him." She folded in on herself and he pulled her to him, rubbing soothing circles across her back.

"_You_ didn't kill him. Kodos did because we wouldn't tell him where the rest of us were and because we had gotten a message out. You tried to save him." He told her.

He held her until she stopped crying and waited patiently for her to calm down.

"Charlotte, you did the best that you could do under very difficult circumstances. You showed the best of human nature by choosing to not kill unless there is absolutely no choice. You still had your humanity even though most people would have tossed it away." Kirk insisted.

She looked up and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you, captain."

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Jim. I think after this talk, you can call me Jim."

He looked at her with a serious frown.

"You saw me at one of my worst moments. I heard about your family's compassion with supplying Riley with food. That was what caused you and your sister to be hunted and Mr. Jones's death. Your family risked everything to help a group of kids. No-one else did that. You probably saved us by your family's actions."

She nodded her understanding but remembered the primary reason she had wanted to talk to him.

"Can this remain private? I just don't want any pity."

"Of course. Unless someone needs to know."

He let out a deep breath and let her go, rubbing his hands on his thighs.

"I think I've kept you long enough. Spock seemed _very_ interested in talking with you."

He used air quotes with the word talking and smiled brightly with a flash of teeth. It made Charlotte blush and shove him playfully.

"Jesus! You are incorrigible."

He laughed and stood, helping her up. They walked out together and he accompanied her to her door.

"I'm glad to see that you and Spock are getting closer. You'll need that when those two make an appearance."

He indicated her abdomen and Charlotte placed a hand over it. A warm feeling settling in her chest.

"Yeah. He's a good guy." She shrugged with a grin. "He kind of grows on you."

Kirk laughed and slapped a hand on her shoulder.

"That's what I've found. You know we didn't get along at first."

She mock frowned as if in thought but with a wry smile.

"That's what I heard. I'd wondered if it was true."

He grew serious and held out a hand and she took it. He pumped her arm.

"It was good to finally meet C.J."

"Goodnight Jim."

He turned to leave but stopped and went back to Charlotte.

"Hey, Charlotte?"

Her hand paused above the keypad and she turned back to him.

"Yes?"

"I just want to say thank you. You did save Thomas with your instructions and he'll be happy to see you when we pick him up tomorrow."

She was floored.

"What?"

"He's the scientist we're picking up at Planet Q." He stopped and frowned, deep in thought.

"You know...I think this is the first time this many of us have seen each other since it happened."

He shook his head but shrugged off the thought.

"Yeah...I'll see you later, Jim."

"Goodnight, Charlotte."

She waited until he left and went into her quarters. The lights were low and candles were lit, setting a relaxing mood. Charlotte could feel Spock through their bond and it sent her heart pounding in nervousness. She stifled a nervous giggle. It really was a better way to end her day and take her mind off of the past. She moved into the living room area and smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"I felt that you needed a positive reminder of your worth."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck, pressing gentle kisses behind her ear and at the nape of her neck causing Charlotte to shiver in pleasure.

"Yes?" It was getting hard to think as his hands moved up her sides and pulled her hair to the side so he could gain better access to her neck. Her hands shook as he slowly moved to her face and held a hand to her cheek as he kissed her eyes, the corners of her mouth and then he leaned back, still holding her face.

"You are an amazing woman. I am proud to have you as my wife."

His hands moved slowly over her body and he carefully slid his fingers under her tunic, sparks dancing on her skin as they rested on her lower back.

"You are...so beautiful, ashayem. I will spend the rest of our lives together showing you how much I love you."

He pressed scorching kisses along her jaw and gazed at her with half lidded eyes. His pupils were blown with arousal and she could feel it pulsing through their link. It sent her blood rushing south and her breathing quickened. His loved poured into her as he gently pulled her shirt over her head to reveal her body. His eyes widened as he took her in. She suddenly felt self-conscious and moved to place her hands over her body but he slowly pulled them away. His expression was one of wonderment.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are perfect."

Charlotte felt her face heat and she looked away but Spock had other ideas. He pressed himself to her and kissed her, tasting her and wrapping his tongue around hers. One hand drifted lower and rested on her waistband while the other caressed her side. She brought her hands under his shirt and could feel his toned abdomen and at her touch he moaned into the kiss, becoming more frantic with his movements as he touched every part of her skin that was exposed. She pulled back to breathe and quickly pulled off his shirt. As she did that he deftly unhooked the clasp to her bra and pulled it off quickly.

His hot mouth hungrily kissed her breasts and he cupped them carefully as he licked at her nipples. She gasped at the sensation and trembled, gripping his hair. She could feel her arousal becoming more intense as he ran his tongue down her stomach, open-mouthed kisses following as he toyed with the elastic of her pants.

"Oh, god! Spock!" She moaned.

She felt him smile into her and a flash of smugness came though the bond.

"Spock, you sly bastard!"

She gently shoved at him and he stood looking at her, his face was flushed.

"I believe that we should move this into the bedroom."

Before she could move he put his arms under her legs and carried her bridal-style into her room and laid her on the bed. He climbed onto the bed between her open legs and his feelings of lust overwhelmed her causing her head to fall back and she could hear herself panting in anticipation. He shucked off his pants and Charlotte felt herself grow damp with arousal at the sight of him. His muscles rippling as he moved towards her, his erect member was flushed green and slick with precome. She reached forward to touch it and he moved around her grasp.

"This is about you, my ashaya. I want you to enjoy tonight."

His voice was thick with arousal and he moved to unfasten her pants, pulling them down and exposing her to him. She moaned in frustration, desperate to touch him as he was touching her.

"So beautiful." He murmured.

His fingers slowly moved along her thighs and Charlotte moaned as her hips thrust of their own accord. Spock chuckled quietly and moved his head lower, rubbing his lips along the sensitive skin of the inside of her thighs. His fingers moving to her most sensitive area, slowly circling her entrance before carefully entering. She moved into his touch mewling at the sensation of him touching her there. His thumb caressing her clitoris and causing a build-up of tension to start coiling in her belly.

"Oh, right there! If you keep doing that I'm gonna..." She panted.

"I think that is the point." He quipped.

She huffed and struggled to think straight with the wonderful sensations he was causing.

"I...I want to come with you inside of me...please." She begged.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

She threw him a glare but a sudden twist of his fingers caused her to fall back and into him with a cry. She fisted the sheets in frustration. He pulled his hand out and moved in between her thighs, carefully lining himself up and she could feel him slowly press in. His length filled her and once he was fully seated she heard him groan. He threw his head back and then leaned forward, his hands on either side of her. His expression strained and she could feel his struggle at controlling his climax. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He began to thrust into her and she wrapped her legs around him and she thrust with him.

His movements became quicker and the tension returned. It was winding tighter and tighter before she felt herself falling over the edge with a cry, squeezing her thighs tight around him as she came. Spock's thrusts became staggered and his grip on her sheets tightened. He pressed his face into her shoulder and his body tensed as he came inside her with a shudder. A thin sheen of sweat on his back and he stayed still. Both of their breathing was erratic as she held him.

Once they both calmed down he ran a hand through her hair and looked into her eyes. She could see the gold flecks in his irises and he whispered to her.

"I love you Charlotte."

She could feel it and tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that she loved him too.

"I love you, Spock."


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: Alright! Hi everyone! Thought I'd add a little to McCoy's character in this chapter and give a baby update! Now, I love having those who read engage in my stories. I'm leaving it up to you to decide the genders of the babies Charlotte is carrying. Two boys? Two girls? Or maybe one of each? It's up to you. I tried to do a poll but had limited results so I'll be going off of comments and tally up the results when I type up the next chapter that focuses on the babies. So please let me know what you want and what you thought about this chapter. I live for feedback! Thank you to everyone who has commented. It helps me want to keep going and also, has anyone seen the Audi Old Spock vs new Spock commercial? Absolutely hilarious! Check it out on YouTube! **

**Another clip that may be interesting is from the new movie. Do a YouTube search Star Trek Into Darkness Movie CLIP- Ears Burning. It's a scene between Kirk and Uhura. She mentions that Spock and her are fighting. Kirk's response is classic! Hope you like this chapter and hope to hear from you!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter 26

McCoy scowled as he looked at the three medical files in front of him. His mind was itching to figure out the puzzle of Kirk, Riley and Jones. He'd taken to writing to Starfleet Medical with formal requests since his questioning of the involved parties had resulted in more questions than answers and they had promptly ignored him. He knew it was important but he just needed a prod from somewhere to get him in the right direction.

"Doctor? Is your shift not over?"

He turned towards the musical voice of T'Peni who was standing in the doorway to his office. He was reluctant to admit it but she had become a valuable asset to his team in sickbay. She was intelligent, quick and had a dry sense of humor that rivaled many he'd encountered. She seemed more relaxed than most vulcans he'd encountered. Perhaps it was her time on Earth that had softened the hard Vulcan attitude that was prevalent among her people.

"Yeah. I'm just trying to figure something out."

He stretched and felt the satisfying pops in his back. T'Peni was still watching him with a curious expression on her face. He angled his head and frowned.

"Somethin' on your mind?" He waved a hand to beckon her in.

She came into his office fully and carefully sat in the chair across from his desk.

"I am curious as to what you are investigating."

Her dark brown eyes bored into him and he shifted in his seat to try and ward off the nervousness he felt. He remembered that T'Peni was an accomplished physician and curiosity was a natural state of mind for vulcans but the look she was giving him begged him to tell her everything.

"It's not important. Besides, I was wondering if you got the report on Thomas Leighton, yet."

"Yes, Doctor."

She stood and came behind him. She leaned well into his personal spaced and typed on his keypad to bring up the file. She smelled of spice and sunshine even though they've been on this tin can for almost two weeks in deep space. He could feel the warmth radiating from her body and had to swallow a lump as her long black hair spilled over her shoulder and tickled his neck.

"Doctor, are you ill?"

He felt a flush on his neck and tried to cover it with his usual brand of snark.

"Of course I'm fine. Why would you ask?" He snapped.

Her lips twitched in what was clearly amusement but she refrained from commenting further and instead stood back to let McCoy view the screen. It painted a pretty dismal picture of the young man.

He was twenty-eight, a botanist who also had advanced doctorate degrees in mycology and entomology. He was a talented young man but at a disadvantage from his youth. He read further along the report that outlined the fact that he was missing his left eye and a good portion of the tissues surrounding the left side of his face. It was hidden by a patch to discourage people from staring and to protect the delicate flesh that was left after multiple surgeries to attempt to repair the damage. It had been a result of a phaser at close range, clearly intending to kill but only maiming and causing a lifetime of pain. Burns were the worst injury.

"T'Peni? When did he receive this injury?"

She leaned down again and pressed the screen to highlight the date. This time McCoy was too focused on the report to notice anything else.

"Approximately thirteen years ago. The exact date is unknown but the treatment regimen is listed from the USS Sagittarius."

McCoy narrowed his eyes and looked at the dates. He could feel the spark of understanding as he pulled up his three mystery charts in comparison to Leighton's. A sharp intake of breath next to him confirmed his suspicions.

"The dates match, Dr. McCoy."

He pulled up the file and saw the treating physician was a Dr. Patterson Chapel. He could feel the excitement building as he pulled Dr. Chapel's Starfleet file. This was the link he had been waiting for! It listed his wife, physchiatrist, Dr. Lauren Chapel and daughter Christine Chapel, currently serving as head nurse aboard the USS Enterprise.

He reached a hand to his comms when he was stopped by a firm grip on his arm. Slender fingers curled around his arms in a vice-like grip and he turned to see stern set of eyes watching him. He felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Doctor...Leonard, it is 2200 and this mystery has been around for thirteen years. One more night will not make a difference in your search for answers. Miss Chapel is likely resting and in my experience in working with her, she would not take well to being interrupted in her normal rest cycle."

She released his arm and stepped back once again to survey him. He hadn't even realized how late he had been there. He sheepishly rubbed a hand on the back of his neck.

"Yeah. You're probably right."

She nodded serenely and an idea struck him.

"Are you off shift?"

"Yes."

He smiled and took a deep breath.

"Want to grab a coffee at the mess hall?" He asked nervously.

His heart started beating a violent tattoo against his throat as he waited for her answer. She seemed to be sizing him up and he could feel his nerves getting the better of him. He was about to back out when she tilted her head.

"I do not believe coffee would be a wise choice at this hour however, I would appreciate your company for some tea."

He sipped at the bitter tea T'Peni had suggested for him and struggled to hide a grimace. Her eyes sparkled at his attempts to hide his displeasure and he laughed.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into trying this." He grumbled good natured.

Her amusement at his predicament increased as he frowned at the horrific aftertaste. It tasted like a mix between gym socks and citrus peels.

"I assure you, Leonard, that this tea contains a beneficial amount of antioxidants and has a calming effect on humans."

"I'll take your word for it." He muttered.

He had to admit, though, that he did feel more relaxed. Whether it was her company or the tea, he honestly couldn't say. He leaned back in the chair with a sigh.

"So, what do you think of life aboard the Enterprise?" He ventured.

She folded her hands in front of her and pursed her lips in thought.

"I find it to be an interesting experience. The lab facilities are impressive. The staff are capable and..." Her face softened. "The company I am with right now is fascinating."

He couldn't help blushing under her last statement. He hated it when his face gave him away and more often than not it did.

"I'm..uh...enjoying myself, too." He stuttered.

He forced himself to finish his tea and looked at the chrono on the wall. He jumped when he realized the time was 0100. She followed his gaze and seemed surprised herself and stood.

"I apologize for keeping you so late, Leonard."

She reached down and took his mug, lightly brushing her fingers against his as she did. He felt a jolt of warmth shoot up his arm and his face reddened further. He shot a glance up at her and saw the slender tips of her ears tinged green. She was watching his reaction with lowered dark eyes through her thick eyelashes and McCoy's jaw dropped in surprise.

"I wish you a pleasant night, Leonard."

His mind literally stumbled as she walked out, hips swaying.

"Well, damn."

The next morning came all too early for him as he struggled to stay awake with his coffee. McCoy had spent several hours awake thinking about T'Peni. He was surprised by his reaction and hers. He remembered the jolt of warmth from her and there had been...something else. He smiled into his mug and saw Christine Chapel walking by his office. He quickly put down his coffee and sped out into the main bay.

"Nurse Chapel, can I see you for a minute."

Chapel's eyes widened in surprise but she followed his lead into his office. He indicated the chair across his desk and he leaned a hip on the corner.

"Chris, I have a question and I'm hoping you can help me."

Her brow furrowed and she nodded carefully.

"Of course. What can I do?"

"I was doing a little research on a patient, Thomas Leighton, who came on board a couple of days ago and I found out that Dr. Patterson Chapel had treated him originally about 13 years ago on the Sagittarius."

Her brows furrowed in thought while she waited for him to continue.

"And I was wondering if you knew or remembered what the Sagittarius was doing around that time."

She bit her lip and her crystal blue eyes seemed to become distant. McCoy waited with bated breath and hoped for an answer. Her voice was quiet as she spoke.

"My mom and I were on the Sagittarius, taking advantage of the proximity to her next posting when the Tarsus IV massacre was discovered. I didn't see much because they kept me out of the way but my parents were busy with the emergency relief work."

Her hands clenched into fists and she stared off at the far wall. McCoy's relative good mood evaporated like water in the desert. He felt like he had been slapped.

"I did see one little boy...once...when I went down to the sickbay to see my dad. I remember he was like a living skeleton. His eyes were so big and frightened."

She shook herself as if a chill had run down her spine and grimaced but her eyes were still haunted. His stomach churned at the thought that that boy could have been Jim or Riley. The coffee turned sour in his stomach.

"My mom caught me and forbid me to go back to the medical bay after that. We were there for about a week until additional ships arrived to help with the evacuation and relief efforts."

He didn't know what to say as the final piece dropped into place. He felt no victory at solving the mystery, only worry. Worry for Jim, for Charlotte. Hell, he hardly even knew Riley and didn't even know Leighton and he was worried for them. He wondered if they had received proper counseling and after-care. By the lack of information on them he thought it unlikely. Riley's reaction proved that. It seemed hat Starfleet had wanted the worst of the tragedy swept under the rug, hidden so that the public only saw the minimal horrors.

He remembered the news feeds of the four thousand survivors. Their eyes haunted as they boarded transports to escape the hell of Tarsus. The rumors of the nine children who had been spirited away because they had survived the initial wave of executions from Kodos the executioner. If Thomas Leighton had been one of the nine then it stood to reason Riley, Jim and Charlotte were as well. Their behavior and the secretive natures they exhibited fit the profile.

"Dammit." He sighed and dragged a hand through his hair and gripped the ends, pulling slightly. The pain becoming a grounding measure as the scope of what he discovered sank in.

Chapel tilted her head, her blond hair falling onto her shoulders.

"What?"

He waved her off.

"No. Nothing." He mumbled.

He stood and ushered her from the office.

"Thank you for your help, Chris. I trust this'll stay between us?"

She looked surprised at the quick dismissal and stumbled on the way out.

"Uh, sure. Anytime doctor."

He grunted and the moment she left he sat down heavily behind his desk and put his head in his hands. Jim and Charlotte had been right. Sometimes the past should remain in the past but he had needed to know. His stomach twisted into knots at the upcoming mission to Cygnia Minor. The similarities between the tragedy that became the downfall of Tarsus IV and Cygnia was unnerving.

He was deep in thought when his office door opened again to admit the object of his thoughts. Jim Kirk walked in with a dark expression on his face and a PADD in his hand. He briefly considered letting Jim know that he knew but bit that thought in the bud. It'd be opening a whole new can of worms. Jim'd come to him if and when he needed to.

"What's wrong?" McCoy ventured.

He rearranged his features to reflect curiosity and concern rather than the gut-wrenching horror of knowing some of what his best friend had gone through. Kirk slapped the PADD on his desk and slid it across. His eyes hard and lines tightened around his mouth as his lips thinned.

"Scotty finally finished analyzing the replicator that Charlotte and Riley used. He found nothing. No errors, no malfunction, no power surge." He threw up his hands in frustration. "Nothing to explain what happened."

He leaned forward and pointed at the report, his voice lowered.

"But he did find that the replicator had been completely reset. The memory wiped and it had been so thoroughly cleaned that it didn't even have traces of Charlotte's DNA on it from when she had used it earlier. It's what he didn't find that was suspicious."

McCoy leaned back and folded his arms.

"You think someone's after Riley?"

Kirk shrugged.

"I don't know. I ordered security to review the surveillance and the footage was missing for the twenty-four hours surrounding the whole event."

McCoy rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. He remembered Charlotte had mentioned that the medkit on deck 12 hadn't been stocked.

"I think that someone should keep an eye on the kid."

"Yeah. I've got security keeping a discreet watch on him. If someone's after Riley then I'm not going to stand by and let it happen."

"Any suspects, Jim?"

Kirk shook his head with a jerk. This was clearly affecting him. The fact that someone had done something like this on _his_ ship _had_ to be frustrating.

"No. Not yet. I've got Giotto compiling a list of crew members capable of this level of manipulation and a possible motive but he's only been aboard for a week and a half. Who would want to kill someone they only just met?"

"I just don't know."

Charlotte was feeling pretty good. In fact, she was soon to be able to go back to work and hopefully get the biosensor leash taken off. Spock had been especially sweet with her and she had started to feel more relaxed. As relaxed as she had been, she was still eager to return to work and be a nurse again, not a patient. She was heading to the medbay for her fourteen week appointment with T'Peni.

She was an excellent doctor, almost as good as McCoy but Charlotte missed his gruff attitude. She'd been avoiding him like the plague and only seeing him in a patient capacity for the past week and a half. She decided to try and repair the bridge between them and maybe try and get back to being friends again.

She was walking down deck five when she saw Kirk leaving the medical bay, his face downcast and he was so deep in thought he almost ran straight into her. She sidestepped him and received a muffled apology before he sped off again. She watched him leave for a moment and then headed to the medical bay. She smiled and waved in greeting to Mi and Chris who were on duty. She felt a little awkward being in off-duty clothing while here but soon enough she'd be back. Nurse Baker came over and guided her to the private exam room and handed her a gown, directing her to lay down on the biobed after she changed.

Once she was situated, she waited until the doors opened and in walked T'Peni and Dr. McCoy. They seemed to be standing closer than usual but McCoy seemed a little tense. His shoulders were bunched and there were lines around his eyes as he looked at her. She could feel worry worming around her heart.

"Is everything ok?" She asked in a high pitched voice.

McCoy's face smoothed and he put a calming hand on her arm.

"Yes. Everything's fine. I just have other things on my mind."

He pulled the sonogram machine out from the corner while Charlotte lifted her shirt to expose her small bump.

"Today you get two doctors for the price of one."

He put the conductive gel on her and raised the wand with a flourish.

"And how are we doing today?" He asked with a smile.

Charlotte rolled her eyes but smiled at his humor.

"We are doing fine but eager to get back to work."

She fidgeted under his sudden snort of derision. T'Peni was at her right documenting the in depth scan from the biobed. She looked down at Charlotte.

"Miss Jones, I think that is a reasonable request. Your blood pressure has been stable and with the support of your bondmate you seem to have been recovering well from your abduction. However, I do think it would be wise for you to remain wearing the biosensor bracelet as a precaution."

Charlotte turned a hopeful glance to McCoy who's eyes were fixed on the screen. Charlotte gasped at the sight. They looked like real babies! She could see the outline of the four tiny hands, the little legs and it was exciting to see. She wished Spock could see this but he was busy in the labs with the Leightons and had been for the past five days.

"I agree with T'Peni but I want it to be half-shifts for the next couple of days. Baby A is looking perfect, measuring three and a half inches from crown to rump and baby B is a bit smaller measuring three point four. At this stage their livers are starting to produce bile and their spleens are starting to produce their own blood cells which will help a lot. You can reduce your copper supplements by ten percent."

He hit the print button and printed the customary two copies of each fetus and labeled them. He started to hand them to her but stopped.

"Are you sure you still don't want to know the genders? I could tell you." His grin widened and eyes sparkled like a kid on Christmas. He was definitely bursting to tell her and Charlotte paused. She was really starting to get curious now that she was beginning to show but as much as she wanted to know now, she also wanted Spock to find out at the same time.

"I think I'll wait a bit." She shrugged. "I kind of want Spock to find out at the same time. It'd be more fun."

McCoy rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Ok, Charlotte. I don't know how long I can keep a lid on it though. Already bets are being placed on what's growing in there."

Charlotte grinned even wider.

"It's more fun to leave them guessing a little longer."

"If you say so." He grew serious and placed a hand on her arm.

"I want you to still take it easy. Maybe the labs or charting for the next couple of days to help you get in the swing of things. You're still not gaining enough weight. I'm placing an increase in calories on your diet card."

She nodded her agreement and let both her and T'Peni help her up. She took the pictures and saw the biosensor on her wrist and frowned.

"Do I really have to keep this thing on?" She groaned.

It felt like an invasion into her privacy. It provided her location, blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturation rate directly to the sickbay at all times. It was frustrating. She'd understood having it on while she was recovering but now...

"Yes, Charlotte. It is a precaution that I think is necessary." T'Peni's serious tone cut off the rest of her protests.

"Alright. Thank you."

Charlotte meandered down the halls, her thoughts on the babies and the satisfaction of finally getting to do more than sitting in her quarters and doing nothing. She thought about being able to be a member of the crew again. It was light duty but it was better than nothing. She looked at the pictures in her hands and traced the outlines of the tiny lives that were growing inside of her and ran straight into someone, bouncing off of them and nearly falling when a set of strong hands gripped her tightly and held her while she steadied. Her pictures fluttered to the ground.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking..."

Her voice trailed off when she saw who she bounced off. The man looked down at her with surprise. The left side of his face was covered in a protective mask so only one blue eye was visible, his dark hair fell over his forehead in slight curls but his mouth was open in a small o of surprise. His hands tightened around her biceps and before Charlotte could protest he pulled her into a tight hug.

"C.J.! Jim told me you were here but I didn't believe him."

He pulled back but didn't release his grip as he looked her over, his eye settling on her slight bump.

"And you're starting a family. How wonderful!" He exclaimed.

Charlotte's cheeks heated under the unexpected scrutiny and to say she was surprised would be a gross understatement. She'd wanted to meet him again but after a little time to prepare.

"Uh, yeah." She flustered.

He released her and quickly bent to pick up her fallen pictures to hand to her.

"You look great. My wife Martha would love to meet one of the women who saved my life and I'd love to find out what you've been up to."

She overcame her speechlessness and grimaced a smile. He really did look good, all things considered. He seemed to be happy and pretty well adjusted. He placed a supporting arm around her.

"So, where are you headed? I'm heading back to the labs. I've got a couple of ideas on how to eliminate the fungus on Cygnus Minor but it's slow going. The captain has been kind enough to loan me his pilot, a lieutenant Sulu, to help. I'm surprised he's a pilot. He's amazing at analysis of fungal diversity in wheat rhizosphere. He should think about changing out of the gold and going to blue."

Charlotte laughed at the thought of Sulu giving up his passion of flying for science. He was a complex person who used the calming precision of science to counterbalance the action and excitement of being a pilot.

"I think you can try to convince him but won't have too much luck. I'm just heading home. I was on medical leave but tomorrow I get back to work. Half-shifts though." She scrunched her nose in irritation but Leighton started smiling wider, showing an impressive display of white teeth.

"Aren't you in the sciences?"

Charlotte stopped and tilted her head.

"Yeah? The medical sciences." She said cautiously.

He waved a hand dispelling Charlotte's silent protests.

"Since you're on light duty you could help Lt. Sulu and me in science lab one. I'll let that yeoman that's assigned to my team know and talk to Dr. McCoy. It'll be a win-win. I'll get a set of hands and we can catch up _and_ you will be able to comply with the doctor's orders of light duty."

Charlotte considered Leighton's idea. It was better than doing filing and patient charts and considering Leighton's level of energy and good-natured attitude, it seemed like it might be fun.


	27. Chapter 27

**AN: Ok, here's the next chapter. I'm sorry it's so short but I didn't want to take away from the drama. :) Also, if I may brag! I get to see the movie tomorrow before it's released here in the US! I'm so excited! One of my boyfriend's clients gave tickets to see an early premier here in Seattle! Sweet!**

**I love hearing reviews so please let me know if this chapter is alright.**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Charlotte kicked the sheets off and tried to rest but the heat in her room was stifling. It was slowly driving her insane because the small added weight to her front just made it all the more noticeable. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep but a heavy arm fell across her and stilled her movements. She stopped her fidgeting and tried to rest in Spock's arms until she felt him solidly behind her, and insistent hardness gently rubbing at the cleft of her bottom.

Her lips curled in a mischievous smile as she rubbed back into his length and a sudden growl let her know she'd gotten his attention and successfully woken him up. His hands had been innocent before but now she felt them lowering to her hips and pulling her closer to him, the fabric of her sleep pants seeming to irritate him as he gripped her tightly.

"I do not understand why you wear clothing to bed if it makes you uncomfortable."

His voice was low and thick with sleep and arousal, his breath hot on her neck as he nipped biting quick kisses to her neck and shoulder.

"Because it's not the clothes that are making me hot. I like wearing pajamas." She said with a twist of her hips.

His breathing hitched as his movements became more purposeful. Spock's hand started fumbling with her pants and eventually he gave up trying to lower them and moved to crawl over her. She saw that unlike her, he was completely nude.

"I _do not care_ for these garments." He growled.

He pressed a bruising, needy kiss to her lips and as she focused on his thrusting tongue demanding her submission, she heard the rip of her pajama pants, the barrier between them effectively ruined.

Spock was sipping his tea and reading through his list of suspects for the Riley case when he saw Charlotte running through their quarters, her hair still damp as she wrestled it into a knot at the base if her skull with one hand and pulling on a boot with the other. He allowed himself to feel a small surge of satisfaction that he had been the cause of her being late for her half-shift in the labs. The swell of her belly was becoming more pronounced as time went on and it was now very obvious that his mate was with child.

Though they were primitive thoughts that went back to pre-Surakian times, he felt a thrill of excitement every time he saw her swollen with his children, every time he smelled himself on her and every time she submitted to him and he claimed her as his because she was his! She was beautiful and so radiant, glowing brighter each day. She had began allowing him to sleep in the same bed as her three nights ago and each night, he had carefully started to press and see how she would respond to each gesture on his part. This had been the first morning they had done more than simply kiss and cuddle. Yes, they had been having sex but Spock had had to be careful and choreograph it carefully. This had been...different. The feel of her surrounding him and responding to his touches had been, for lack of a better word, intoxicating. He had been able to let his more primal urges loose upon his mate and satisfy them close to completion. He had wanted to continue but she had duties to attend to that day and he did not want to overwhelm her too much.

"Spock, as much as I love what we did, you owe me a new pair of pajamas." She finished pulling on her second boot and Spock rose to meet her.

"And I'm late! What am I going to say to Mr. Leighton?" She huffed.

He moved to stand in front of her, taking her hands in his and twining their fingers. He felt the familiar tingle of warmth and spark of electricity pass between them and his lips quirked in a half-smile.

"You can tell him the truth, ashayem. That you struggled to get out of bed this morning." He said simply and watched as her face turned a bright red in embarrassment and pleasure.

"Oh my god! I can't say that!" She started to protest and he pressed his lips to hers, swallowing her protests.

Charlotte sped down the corridor to the labs and was definitely flustered as she turned the corner. She almost tripped over a blond woman in an engineering jumpsuit that was adjusting the door to the labs, her tools spread out next to her as she twisted and pulled at the wires.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She hastily apologized to the woman.

She had looked horrified at the sight of her and Charlotte wondered if she looked scary enough to warrant such a reaction but shoved it out of her mind once she entered the lab.

The labs designated to the botanical aspect of science were amazing. There were a small cubicle that they could use to do controlled environment experiments on one side. Along the back was the actual plant areas. Lt. Sulu had carefully cultivated the samples that they had growing there and under his and Charlotte's care, they were thriving replicas of the affected plants at Cygnia Minor. The testing was mostly complete and they had successfully found a compound that would kill the fungus and not damage the remaining plants, soil and bugs vital to the fragile ecosystem. It was just in time, too. They were due to arrive the next day.

On the right, there were a multitude of microscopes, computers and electron microscopes alongside the cabinet of chemicals they had used to test on their samples. Crowded along the computer terminals were Mr and Mrs. Leighton with Sulu. She bounced over to the trio.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. Have I missed anything?"

Sulu smiled and stood aside to let her see the final product streaming across the screen. The chemical formulae streaming across the screen like a seamless, beautiful being and she felt a small surge of pride that they had been the ones to come up with the treatment. That because of them, they would be able to save these people's livelihood.

"It's no problem, Miss Jones. The lieutenant and I were just finalizing the report and backing it up onto a data clip. Would you like to do the honors?"

Thomas Leighton stood back and indicated the red transfer button that would duplicate their saved information, sending it to the bridge and simultaneously saving a hard copy to the small data clip hanging out the side of the computer. Sulu and Mrs. Leighton stood behind Charlotte and she grinned as she reached out a hand to press the button.

"It's been an honor working with you this past week, Mr. Leighton."

She heard a sudden high pitched whine and then her world exploded around her in a flash. She felt a body slam into her knocking her into the two people behind her. Heat and fire and smoke surrounded her. She heard the explosion but had seen it a split second first as the console behind Leighton exploded sending shrapnel everywhere. She felt the air rush out of her lungs with the dead weight of Mr. Leighton pinning her. The lab was bathed in an ominous red glow and Charlotte felt pain and wetness coming from her ears and shoulder.

She turned her head and saw Sulu climbing out from under them, a cut on his forehead and he was moving his mouth but she couldn't hear anything other than a muffled noise. She reached a hand up and felt at Mr. Leighton's neck and was horrified to not feel a pulse. She carefully pulled herself out and had to stop, the motion sending a wave of vertigo rushing at her.

She closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself and turned to see Mrs. Leighton standing and looking around wide-eyed and frantic, her eyes landing on her husband lying prone with a piece of console sticking out of his spine, burns coating his back and buttocks, the clothing melted to his skin. He had received the full blast of the explosion. Sulu pulled at Martha as she started to collapse, her face contorting in agony when Charlotte shook her head at Sulu to let him know there was nothing she could do.

The lights suddenly shifted from red to blue, Sulu jumped and grabbed Charlotte, pulling both women to the door only to bounce back from a forcefield. Charlotte started feeling panic as she saw the fire doors start to lower. The lab must have detected a biohazard as well as the fire and was in the process of sealing itself and venting into space. Sulu faced Charlotte and made frantic motions with his hands, his mouth shouting words she couldn't hear but she got the gist. They had to find a place to hide and fast.

Charlotte looked around the destroyed lab, her heart racing and she struggled to focus through her own sense of panic, let alone poor Martha Leighton still in hysterics next to her. The doors were almost down and her and Sulu's eyes met. His almond shaped brown eyes widening even further as he saw something behind her. She spun and saw the controlled environment cubicle. There was no power running through it but the door was open and together they could jam the door. It was also going to be a serious squeeze.

They dragged a now almost catatonic Martha Leighton to the cubicle, the woman was completely unresponsive. All she seemed capable of was breathing. Once she was inside the tiny glass enclosure, Sulu shoved Charlotte in. She was pressed against the other woman as Sulu squeezed in and together they maneuvered the door closed as the fire door finally hit the floor. Charlotte and Sulu were nose to nose as they leaned against the door trying to seal in their limited air supply. The lab looked like a tornado was hitting it as the air was being sucked out. The smoke being pulled by the vents and the small fires slowly extinguishing as the oxygen was pulled from the room. Small amounts of debris spinning and twirling along the floor as the air was sucked out.

Her shoulder was hurting with the strain of trying to keep the door sealed and she could feel a small leak at the edge of the frame. The oxygen was being pulled from their booth, too. The lack of power made it to where they couldn't seal the door properly. She pressed harder and next to her she felt Sulu tense as he copied her gestures. She knew the cycle took thirty minutes to complete but she hoped they had that thirty minutes locked in here.

T'Peni saw the medical alarms blaring and looked at Charlotte's biosensor. The readings spiked dramatically and she knew something was desperately wrong. A second later she felt the ship lurch as alert sirens went off.

"Computer, locate Ensign Charlotte Jones."

_"Ensign Jones is located in science lab one. Science lab one is currently in lockdown."_

She grabbed her medkit and ran out to the main medbay. Spotting Leonard collecting teams, she joined him as they started to move out.

"Dr. McCoy, what has happened?" She asked tense.

"Some kind of explosion in the science lab. It went on lockdown detecting fire and a biohazard contamination of some kind. It's venting to space to take care of both problems."

T'Peni felt her pulse spike in response to the alarming news.

"Charlotte is in science lab one."

McCoy's eyes widened in horror and he picked up the pace.

Spock was eliminating his list of suspects when he felt it. A jolt of pain and fear and then the ship shook. He dropped his PADD and ran out the door. He felt his own fear start to rise as the sirens started to blare along the corridor. He skidded and came to an abrupt halt at the sight of the multiple medical teams and engineering trying to override the doors to the science lab.

"Report." He barked.

He could still feel Charlotte's pain and fear so he knew she was still alive. Lt. Cmdr. Scott stood from his attempts to bypass the door. He handed his tool to the ensign next to him who continued his work.

"I dinna know, commander. This door isna supposed tae lock down with biohazard warnings fer a simple fire. Accordin' to my scans, the explosion, though pretty bad, was nae bad enough to warrant a complete lockdown. I cannae lift it. It'll run it's course in another two minutes and then we can get in. There are three life signs but one is weaker than the other two."

Spock closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on his link to Charlotte, trying to communicate with her but only receiving vague impressions. Her fear and discomfort were overriding her ability to focus on communications. He could sense a strong determination but he didn't know why.

"Why can we not establish communications?"

Scotty looked uncomfortable.

"It's a safely protocol. All tech loses power to minimize the risks of further explosions or..."

Just then, the doors finally opened. The scene that met them was horrifying to say the least. He saw the focal point of the explosion. A computer terminal was blackened and charred with it's path of destruction outward. A body lay face-down on the ground, blood circling him and a large piece of console embedded in his back.

He scoured the lab, trying to find the survivors and then his eyes fell to the isolation cube. Charlotte, Sulu and another woman were crammed inside. All three were leaning heavily against the door. Their lips were turning blue and he could see blood crusting at Charlotte's ears and along her left shoulder. Sulu had a bruise to his left cheek and a sizable cut above his eye while the woman seemed relatively unharmed.

"There!" He shouted and pointed. The teams ran to the cube and started heaving at the door. Charlotte and Sulu did not seem to understand what was happening and only pressed harder against their efforts.

Spock went up to them and pushed against the door. He needed to get to her. He had to. Together they got the doors open and the first to fall out was Sulu. Dr. McCoy pulled Sulu out of the way and immediately set upon him. Together, he and T'Peni pulled Charlotte out while M'Benga focused on the remaining victim. His focus was on Charlotte. The rest of the world fell away as he watched T'Peni work on a weak Charlotte.

Her eyes were half-closed as a non-rebreather mask was fitted, hypos were administered in quick succession and the Vulcan female ran her scanner across Charlotte's body. He saw blood on her and had to restrain himself from from breaking down. Her arm came up weakly and he reached forward to take her hand.

"Oh, Charlotte. Ashayem. I am here." He said quietly.

Her eyes closed at the contact and he threw a panicked look at T'Peni who responded to his wordless enquiry.

"She is relatively unharmed. The only injuries are that both of her eardrums are ruptured from the explosion, deep cuts to her left shoulder along with torn ligaments and she is recovering from minor hypoxia. She should make an adequate recovery."

Her words helped the knot of worry loosen in his chest and he breathed a deep sigh, pulling his hand from Charlotte's to run a hand through her dirt covered hair. Charlotte's eyelids fluttered at the contact and he met tired blue eyes.

"It is alright, my Charlotte."

Her weak smile made his heart clench at her trust in him. Then he knew that though she was his, he was hers as well.

"Take care of her. I need to find out what caused this." Or who he added mentally.

T'Peni nodded and together, she and the medical staff left the lab with their patients. The body of Thomas Leighton remained but a sheet was draped over his still form.

Spock walked over to the console that was the source of the blast and looked closely. He didn't touch anything but he saw a glint of silver. The twisted shape reminiscent of the casing of a phaser. He frowned, deep in thought.

"Spock, what happened?"

Kirk came up behind him in his off duty blacks.

"I believe we have a murderer on board."


	28. Chapter 28

**AN: I seriously apologize for how long it's taken me to update and how short this chapter is. My son had an ear infection so I've been a little busy tending to him. I hope it's ok. They're closing in!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Kirk and Spock sat next to each other poring over the accumulated data. They had little to go on. There was no biological evidence leading to a suspect and it had been the result of what, on the surface, looked to be computer error. The program used had been nearly identical to that of the replicator malfunction. The security footage had also been mysteriously nonexistent. It frustrated Spock to no end but he was determined to discover who the culprit was.

"Spock?"

"Yes, Captain?" He put down his stylus and looked over at Kirk who was scowling and pale, staring at his own computer screen.

"Captain?" He placed a hand on Kirk's shoulder and could feel the tension thrumming under his fingers. Kirk jumped and Spock could see his eyes were haunted.

"I think I found the link." He said slowly.

Spock viewed the document the captain had pulled up and saw it was a list of names.

**Key Witnesses to Governor Kodos' attempted Genocide**

**Evelyn Eames (Deceased - Suicide)**

**Charlotte Jones - assigned USS Enterprise**

**Molly Jones (Deceased - Battle of Vulcan)**

**James Kirk - assigned USS Enterprise**

**Thomas Leighton - Planet Q scientific study**

**Daniel Morton (Deceased - Earthquake at Taurus VI)**

**Daniel Moulton (Deceased - Transporter Accident)**

**Kevin Riley - Starfleet Academy Cadet**

**Maria Sanchez (Deceased - Anaphylactic Shock)**

Spock noted the names on the list.

"The Tarsus Nine?" He noticed the dates of the deaths listed. Except for Charlotte's sister, they had all happened within the past year. Miss Eames' and Miss Sanchez's deaths occurred only a few weeks ago at the same time they were at Earth. Daniel Morton's was at the same time they were providing aid to Taurus VI.

"How did you come to this conclusion?" He asked.

Kirk's body tensed as he pulled up the full files.

"I guessed. I figured that the computer error was too similar to the one that almost killed Riley and that there had to be a link between the two people. This was the only link I could come up with. I requested the list an hour ago and Starfleet didn't see a problem with giving me the list."

His face screwed up in pain and he hit the desk with his fist hard enough to cause the screen to flicker.

"I can see why _now_. All survivors that are still alive now are on my ship." His voice was rough with emotion and Spock could see that he was in deep pain.

"The dates are too suspicious and I knew Evelyn. Evie would _never_ have killed herself! She was getting married in a month."

Spock agreed with the captain's suspicions. He thought back to every instance of Charlotte's bad fortune and it made him feel ill. The buckle on the shuttle that had almost killed her, her ex-husband suddenly finding her and somehow having the ability to elude their tracking and finally the explosion in the lab. Someone has been trying to kill Charlotte for months and now has stepped up the game.

"I believe you may be correct. Charlotte's kidnapping and the incident with the shuttlecraft were seen as separate happenings however, they may now be linked with these cases. The explosion in the lab may have been an attempt by a now desperate culprit. So far all of the deaths have been tragic but clearly listed as accidents and in one case suicide. None of them were listed or thought of as murder."

Spock was deeply concerned for Charlotte's safety and now that of his captain. Kirk was a target for whoever was behind these murders.

"Captain, I believe that you may be the next victim and as such a security detail should be utilized for your safety."

He reached out a hand to contact security and arrange it when Kirk's arm stopped him. He raised an eyebrow in surprise and Kirk shook his head, a dark expression on his face.

"No. We can't alert whoever's behind this. If they know we're onto them then we'll never catch them. The evidence we have, so far, is circumstantial at best. I agree that we should have teams on Riley and Charlotte because there have been attempts but also on Sulu and Mrs. Leighton to throw off the killer."

Spock disagreed with Kirk's assessment of the level of danger that he was clearly in and opened his mouth to protest when the captain put up a hand to interrupt.

"Now that we know, I'll be on my guard. I will have a communicator on me at all times. We have to be careful with this and not spook them. He or she or even they may resort to a desperate attempt that could put more lives at risk. We can't reveal our hand."

Spock nodded his understanding but the decision still disturbed him. Kirk leaned back in his chair and pressed the heels of his hands over tired eyes.

"Spock? Has Charlotte, Sulu and Mrs. Leighton been questioned, yet?" Kirk asked through a yawn.

"No. Charlotte is still resting. Mrs. Leighton has had to be sedated and Lieutenant Sulu is still waiting to be discharged from sickbay." Spock listed off the people.

"Alright. I think they should remain in sickbay. Maybe get Riley there, too. Under medical observation if McCoy can wrangle it so that that way they can be kept together and under someone's eye at all times. It's easier to have security watching them in a public place and safer. I also think that we need to play this close to our chests. Senior staff and only those who need to know. McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty and Giotto. As far as the rest of the crew will know, Charlotte, Sulu and Mrs. Leighton are to be placed in quarantine. They were possibly exposed to something in the labs from the explosion."

Spock's eyebrows shot up in surprise at Kirk's resourceful lie. It would satisfy the crew's curiosity and security could be explained to prevent their leaving the medical bay.

In Dr. McCoy's office, the senior staff and security chief were crowded in. McCoy had carefully made sure his privacy filters were on and they had varying expressions of horror on their faces. Lieutenant Uhura was the first to speak.

"If what you suspect is true, then we'll need to contact the authorities on Earth and Taurus VI. New investigations will need to be launched."

Kirk shuffled forward.

"Agreed but it needs to be in an encrypted transmission." He shook his head sadly. "I also want to be able to talk to Marcus Yates. He was Evelyn Eames' fiancé. He might have some answers."

Kirk turned to McCoy.

"Bones? I know you were doing the semi-annual physicals of the crew?"

"Yeah. T'Peni and I have nearly finished." He answered.

"That included psychological profiles, too. Right?" He continued.

McCoy looked distinctly uncomfortable discussing potentially confidential material in such a public setting but answered.

"Yes, captain. There's only six enlisted crewmembers that have yet to report for their evals but so far neither of us have noticed anything worrying."

Kirk nodded.

"Can you get them seen in the next twenty-four hours?" He asked briskly.

"Yes but I'd need to let T'Peni know what to look for and why. She's going to be curious as to why we're keeping Jones, Sulu and Mrs. Leighton as it is."

Spock interjected, feeling the tension rise in the room as suspicion and fear started to take over.

"I believe that T'Peni is trustworthy. She has worked for my grandmother for many years and is only a recent addition to the ship."

Kirk sighed and agreed with Spock's perception of the woman.

"Okay, Bones but I'll need a list of those crewmembers sent to myself, Spock and Giotto. I want to know where they were when we were docked at Earth." He turned to Uhura and Scotty who had unconsciously moved closer together, perhaps in an effort to comfort one another from the revelations of the probability of a murderer on the ship or the fact that survivors from such a devastating tragedy were now being targeted again.

"Uhura, I want you to go through every transmission for the past six months. I want to find out if there have been any discrepancies or missing data. And Scotty, I want you to try and find that trail. There is no way that the systems could be that effectively erased. Ensign Chekov will work with you. Commander Spock and I will work with all of you and we want to question the people on Dr. McCoy's list. We also need to focus on resolving the situation on Cygnia Minor. We're due to arrive there at 0800. Both situations are absolutely vital."

The various staff nodded their agreements and Spock raised a hand to gain Dr. McCoy's attention. The doctor squeezed past Chekov and Giotto and came up to the vulcan well within his personal space but with the cramped quarters of them being in his office there was little choice.

"Doctor, it was suggested by the captain that for Charlotte's and Cadet Riley's safety that they should be kept in the medical bay. This way, they would be under constant observation."

Spock knew that Charlotte would be adverse to this however, her momentary displeasure was a small price to pay for her safety.

"I could put Jones in quarantine because of the lab explosion but I'd have put Sulu and Martha Leighton in it as well to avoid suspicion. It'd only be possible to play it off for forty-eight hours at the most." McCoy's face twisted in a frown.

"I don't know how I could get Riley down here. Maybe transfer his science portion of the internship? I could come up with a few experiments and medic training to keep him here for the next day to prep supplies for Cygnia Minor."

Spock was pleased with Dr. McCoy's resourceful thinking. Though the doctor and him rarely saw eye to eye, he was a valuable asset to the Enterprise. He took Charlotte's health and safety just as seriously as Spock did and for that, he was thankful.

"Thank you, Doctor."

Charlotte woke with a violent start, her arms flailing and eventually finding purchase in the form of a suited up T'Peni and Spock. The world around her was silent and in her fear, she put her hands to her ears and felt the telltale protective coverings over them. She felt faint pins and needles with a pulling sensation along her left shoulder that indicated a deep injury that had been healed. She looked around and saw that she was in the back room of sickbay used for quarantining potential contagions. She noticed Mrs. Leighton sitting on a biobed with her knees pulled up to her chest, an almost blank expression on her face as she stared straight ahead at nothing. Sulu was on her other side reading a PADD with a tense expression lining his face.

She could feel her panic starting to rise up and threaten to overwhelm her at her lack of information. Had something been released from the labs? Were the babies at risk? She met Spock's eyes questioning look and he placed a hand on her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. She indicated the babies with a hand on her abdomen and he covered her hand with his gloved hand and gave a gentle nod. A deep breath rushed out in relief.

_"Ashayem, all is well with the children. The captain and I believe that there is someone targeting the tarsus survivors. With you here, you can be monitored and kept safe from harm until the culprit can be caught."_

She frowned. She still did not like the telepathic connection between them. It made her feel exposed but in this instance, considering she couldn't hear until the next day at the earliest, it was a useful thing.

The thought that someone was targeting Tarsus survivors made her feel physically ill. Hadn't they been through enough. Why would someone care enough to track them down and kill them? And not only them but putting innocent people in the crossfire? Hikaru Sulu, Martha Leighton and her two unborn children had nothing to do with Tarsus.

She pointed to Sulu's PADD so that she could communicate with people. T'Peni understood and had had a PADD ready to hand to her. Charlotte saw that there was already a message from T'Peni listing her treatment and the successful repair of her tympanic membranes. She typed her thanks and showed the message.

**"How long do we have to be here?" **She typed to Spock.

"Approximately forty-eight hours to ensure your safety." He answered verbally.

She smiled at Spock's double meaning answer. She did find his ability to put a play on words entertaining but she didn't want to stay in here. She felt like she was on display in a fishbowl and she wasn't comfortable with the lack of privacy. It only made her feel more vulnerable. A sudden thought sprang to her mind and before she could answer Spock answered it for her.

"We were able to recover the research to treat the fungal outbreak." He answered quickly.

Charlotte had a second thought hit her and it caused her stomach to twist painfully. Spock answered it through their link, preferring the privacy and even though she scowled back at him, she felt small bubbles of amusement at her irritation.

_"This is an untraceable form of communication. It is far safer than talking or typing. I suggest you attempt to refine your skills."_

She rolled her eyes but nodded her head in reluctant agreement. His demeanor grew serious and his eyes became dark with worry.

_"Charlotte, I admire your concern for Cadet Riley and the Captain. Mr. Riley has been assigned to the medical bay for the duration of the investigation. Security has been assigned for everyone's protection. As for the captain..." She could sense his displeasure at this part of his answer. "He has determined that his risk is...acceptable since he is aware of the danger. He does not wish to alert the murderer of his suspicions."_

Charlotte agreed but wasn't in a position to argue. She saw Martha was still in the same position as before and upon closer inspection she noticed tear tracks on her cheeks. Her brown hair was tangled and she was so still and tense that she looked like she was going to snap in two. Charlotte's heart ached at the pain she had to be going through. She couldn't imagine losing Spock now. Their love was still in a fledgling stage but it would be like a part of her would be torn away leaving her damaged and no longer whole.

She had seen the passion and love between the two during the hours she had spent in the labs. They had moved like a seamless machine, almost seeming to read each other's minds as they worked. Every time they moved past each other there would be a brush of hands here and a loving smile there. They had complimented each other in a way that she had never seen before.

A gentle squeeze to her shoulder let her know that Spock understood her thoughts and she lifted her head and gave him a watery smile which he returned by a softening of his eyes and a wave of love through their bond.

She pulled away from Spock and carefully walked on shaky legs to Martha. The woman continued her blank stare until Charlotte put a hand on her back, a light pressure to let her know that she wasn't alone. She could feel shaking starting under her hand and without warning the woman broke. She spun on the bed and gripped Charlotte in a tight hug, burying her face in the crook of her neck, sobs shaking the both of them with the force of the woman's grief.

Charlotte rubbed soothing circles on her back and held her for a long time until she felt the woman still. Her back was protesting the prolonged position and her shirt was damp with tears but she didn't dare move until she felt the slow, even breathing and realized that Martha had cried herself to sleep. She carefully laid the spent woman back and brushed her hair out of her face before pulling the blanket up and tucking her in. Martha had a long road ahead of her to be able to move on and heal.

Charlotte stretched and suddenly felt a cold shiver race down her spine. She had the sensation of someone watching her and she looked up, her eyes darting across the sickbay when she saw a set of hazel eyes belonging to a blond woman who was watching her with a shrewd and calculating look. It set Charlotte's teeth on edge. Charlotte tilted her head and could feel a small hint of recognition. She'd seen her before but she struggled to remember. The blond turned abruptly and left to go into Dr. McCoy's office and it hit her. She was the engineering tech that she had seen outside the labs doing repairs to the doors.


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: The big chapter! I hope I you all like it! Please let me know via reviews. They keep me happy and happy writers work faster. I absolutely welcome ideas and requests so please let me know what you think. I'm sorry it took so long to update but I wanted to finish my other story 'Misplaced'. Thank you so much for being patient!**

**tishbing**

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Charlotte watched the blond woman go into Dr. McCoy's office with a frown. Something was off with her. She looked out at the medbay from the confines of their ward and saw Kevin Riley in the corner calibrating a scanner. She tapped against the transparent glass and he looked up in response, moving over to her. Charlotte ran back to her bed and grabbed her PADD and indicated he do the same, pointing to her ears to explain she couldn't hear. She was thankful he was quick on the uptake and retrieved his own PADD, quick to send her a message.

**KRiley: Hey, C.J. You ok? I heard what happened. I'm heartbroken about Tom.**

**CJones: Me too. I'm fine but I was wondering if you know who the woman who just went into McCoy's office was? I saw her outside the labs before and I know I've seen her before.**

Riley's face became puzzled as he looked up at Charlotte. Almost like she was crazy.

**KRiley: Yes. You've seen her. She came to see me after I got sick. She's Lenore Karidian, the captain's yeoman. She works in communications. She's the one who made it possible for me to be here for my internship. She's really nice. Why?**

Charlotte felt the air leave her lungs, like she had been punched. The past two incidents made sense but other things started sliding into place that made her start to feel sick. She was the one who organized the paperwork for the leaves and away missions. She knew where she was on Earth three weeks ago. She worked in communications so it was possible she had contacted Michael to have her killed.

She quickly typed out another message.

**CJones: Kev, you need to tell Spock and the captain about her visiting you after the attack and tell them that I saw her outside the labs. If she really worked for communications then she wouldn't have had on an engineering jumpsuit and be working on the doors! She might have my messages stopped. I need you to tell them in case I can't get through. I think she's the one.**

Kevin paled and shook his head.

**KRiley: The one what? What attack? It was a replicator malfunction and your lab explosion was an accident.**

Charlotte sighed and shook her own head. Riley swallowed drily as he watched her type.

**CJones: No Kevin. I think that she was setting us up to kill us. The Tarsus survivors. I don't know why, though. Don't you think it's strange that she, a lowly yeoman, worked so hard to get you here on your internship? That there were four out of the nine onboard the Enterprise? And that accidents have happened to three of us that were nearly fatal to two and fatal to one?**

He looked like he was going to throw up. Riley's hands started to shake and he looked at Charlotte with wide, fearful eyes to which she nodded and tapped at her PADD. The evidence was clear. All it needed was for the pieces to be put together before anyone else got hurt.

**KRiley: You're right. I'll go now.**

Jim Kirk couldn't focus on the task that was disturbing him. He needed to organize the relief teams to Cygnia. He had put through his calls to Earth and Taurus VI for the deaths to be investigated a second time and to Evelyn Eames' fiancé. He was hoping that Jeremy would have the answers he was seeking.

Teams of crewmembers were scattered around the cargo bay like ants on a picnic. Each group was absorbed in it's task, oblivious to the problems currently plaguing their captain and first officer. He was reviewing the final inventory lists when his comms went off.

"Kirk here."

Uhura's voice came over the speakers.

_"Captain, I believe that I might have found something and also you have a transmission that's about to come through from Earth."_

"On my way."

He snapped the lid down on his communicator and strode out of the bay to the bridge.

Once he was on the bridge, Lieutenant Uhura's face was screwed tight. Her eyes bright with anxiety as she glanced around nervously and Kirk knew she had found something particularly disturbing. He swept an arm out to indicate his ready room so that what she had to say would remain private. She walked in front of him and he could see how tense she was with her careful strides, her hands tightly gripping a PADD in front of her like a shield.

"Lieutenant? What have you found?"

He leaned a hip on the corner of his desk, though his posture was relaxed and confident, he didn't feel it. She obviously wasn't fooled either.

"Captain...I didn't find much but what I did find was...disturbing. I found several text only transmissions that were sent from my station. The reason they weren't recovered sooner was because we were looking for deleted files. These were simply moved into a subfolder."

Uhura handed him the folder and he scanned the files. He frowned as the scope of what he was seeing was hitting him. There were several monetary transactions from a numbered nameless bank account to a ferengi account dated several months ago with the notation power cells for Taurus VI. Another transaction to Michael Jacobs with a text only transmission detailing Ensign Jones' locations for her shoreleave. Subsequent transmissions from Jacobs detailing that he couldn't complete their deal, that he loved Jones and wouldn't kill her but that he would make sure she disappeared.

He noticed that he was only seeing half of the conversations. The outgoing responses were still absent. He continued reading and saw transmissions from Planet Q with Thomas Leighton's biographical information, another from Earth with Evelyn Eames and Maria Sanchez's information with limited medical files attached.

Further along there was a short note.

_My darling,_

_You have done well in keeping me safe. Daniel Moulton met his true fate some months ago on my last visit to the Mars colony. I know that you are soon to be leaving for Zeti-4 and the Zenitians want a survey of the sixth planet in their system. I noticed an interesting effect of the sixth planet. It drains the power of electrical systems and any probe sent in will crash to the surface. You said Jones was a nurse and scientist. Get her on that mission. If the shuttle crashes, her demise will be seen as an accident. I have faith in you. _

There was no signature. It left a cold feeling in his chest at the casual mention of Daniel's murder and the methodical plotting of a second. He saw several more bank transfers in increasingly larger amounts to Orion accounts and those he couldn't place.

"Anything else?" He asked.

Uhura shook her head. "That's all I could find so far. I'm still looking, though.

He gave a tight smile of thanks and slid into his chair to access his computer.

"Thanks, Uhura. Send a copy of this to Spock and keep looking. I need to know who is behind these transmissions."

She gave a terse nod and retrieved her PADD from the captain.

"You also have a transmission from Earth. From a Jeremy White. I've encrypted it just in case and set it up to record. He says he was Evelyn Eames' fiancé."

He smiled at Uhura's thoroughness and she left him as he hit the accept button on his computer. His screen lit up with an image of a young blond man, his green eyes were red-rimmed and he had the look of defeated heartbreak.

"Hi, Jeremy. How are you?" He asked cautiously.

The man on the screen bit his lip and wrung his hands together but his voice was surprisingly calm.

_"Jim. I saw that you got the police to re-open Evelyn's case. Thank you."_

He didn't know what to say to that so he asked a question he'd been wondering.

"Jeremy, was there anything Evie said or did recently that was out of character for her? Did she send or receive any messages that were out of the ordinary?"

Kirk couldn't help leaning forward in his chair as Jeremy paused, deep in thought.

_"Uh...yeah. We went to a play about a week before she died. She was upset by it. It was just an acting troupe passing through performing Shakespeare's works but she was frantic about the leader of the group. Didn't you get her messages?" _White frowned at the screen and Kirk returned the look.

"No. What messages?"

He felt his pulse accelerate and he moved closer to the screen, his backside now hovering over his chair rather than in it. He was so focused on his conversation, he failed to hear his door opening.

_"The messages said that Anton Karidian, leader of the Karidian Players, was the mass murderer Governor Kodos, also known as Kodos the Executioner."_

The feel of cold metal in the shape of a phaser muzzle at the back of his head caused him to freeze. His screen shut off as the transmission failed but he didn't miss the look of horror on Jeremy's face before the video cut off.

"Very good, Captain."

He didn't need to hear the high-pitched voice to recognize just who had the gun. His question of who their killer was had been answered by Jeremy. The only revelations had been that there had been two killers, a father-daughter team and that it was Kodos himself that was finishing what he had started thirteen years ago.

He tensed his body as the phaser dug in harder forcing his head to tilt.

"_Nuh-uh_, captain. One false move and I will blow your ship. As you have no doubt seen, I am exceptionally talented at explosives and computer programming. This virus can be triggered by the press of a button, a button that I happen to have in my other hand. If you value the lives of your crew you'll follow my instructions to the letter. Three lives in exchange for over four hundred."

He snarled his disgust at her words but didn't fight.

"You mean _five_ lives, not three. Jones is pregnant with twins."

She snorted but didn't so much as waver.

"A sad situation but unavoidable. We will collect Jones and Riley and take a shuttle off of this ship. From there I will detonate the ship to with an antimatter explosion, killing everyone aboard."

Kirk's hands tightened into fists but he didn't move. She was truly insane. His comm started beeping at his hip but he couldn't answer it.

"But Lenore, Why? You'll kill yourself too?"

She laughed a much higher laugh, almost hysterical in it's tone and it set his teeth on edge, only furthering his knowledge that she was willing to do what she threatened.

"It doesn't matter. I would die a thousand times to save him, his shining brightness, as bright as a blade before it is stained by blood. The great Karidian, his gift was meant for the universe and you nine were a danger to him. There were nine and now there are three. Soon to be no more."

Kirk listened to her declarations, the ravings of a mad woman in silence. His fear for his crew's safety keeping him in check.

"Now. Let's go, captain. My final performance is at hand."

Spock finalized the preparations for the shuttles and supplies to be sent to Cygnia Minor. He was going over the relief roster when he saw Cadet Riley rushing across the bay towards him, his face pale and anxious. He skidded to a stop in front of the Vulcan and Spock stood up straight and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Cadet? I do believe that you are assigned to sickbay, are you not?" He said evenly.

"Sir, Charlotte sent me and together we think we figured out who is behind this." He said breathlessly.

Spock became aware of some of the other officers stopping their work and watching them so he took a hold of the younger man's arm and steered him to a corner out of earshot.

"What have you discovered?" He asked pointedly.

"It's Yeoman Lenore Karidian. Charlotte and I think it fits. She has access to communications and Charlotte says that she saw her outside the doors to the lab before the explosion. She was also the reason for my being here." The brunette finished uneasily.

Spock's communicator started beeping. He frowned at the display. He pulled it off his belt and McCoy's voice filtered out.

_"Spock? I think I've got a lead. I just finished the crew evals. Can you come down here?"_

"Acknowledged, Doctor. I will inform the captain as well."

He cut off the connection and tried hailing the captain only to go unanswered. An uneasy feeling filled him as he tried a second and third time. Riley started to bounce with nervous energy at Spock's continued attempts.

He stopped his efforts and changed his tactics.

"Spock to security."

_"Security here."_

"There has been a murderer identified. She may have the captain. It is Yeoman Lenore Karidian. She may be armed and is considered extremely dangerous."

_"Aye, sir."_

Spock turned to Riley.

"We must get to the sickbay. That is likely her next stop. We must arm ourselves."

Riley didn't even hesitate and they ran out the doors.

Charlotte could make out sounds by now. It was 0600 ships time and they were due to be arriving at the colony soon. She knew the staff had been up all gamma shift doing last minute preparations and she had wanted to help but was still in quarantine. She watched as the sickbay was emptying of staff in an organized swarm leaving only Dr. McCoy and T'Peni in his office. They were deep in discussion and the way in which they were holding themselves only made her more nervous.

"What do you think they're talking about?"

Charlotte jumped at Sulu's loud whisper. She'd become used to the silence but since T'Peni's removal of the bandages around her ears, even small noises made her jump. Mrs. Leighton was deep asleep. She had had to be sedated again as a panic attack had started to interfere with her cardiac rhythms.

"I think they're talking about Leighton's killer." She whispered.

Sulu was about to respond when the captain came through the doors with Lenore Karidian close behind him. Her eyes were wild and one hand held a phaser at the young captain's back while the other held a small, black, palm-sized box with a button. The security officers that had been stationed outside the medical bay followed in, weapons trained on Karidian but even from her distance in the quarantined room, Charlotte could see the unsure glances the men were shooting Kirk. The commotion in the bay brought the two doctors out of the office.

"Doctor McCoy, I'm _so_ glad you're still here after our little chat since only the CMO can open the quarantine chamber to release the occupants." Karidian smiled as she talked and it sent shivers down Charlotte's spine.

McCoy's body snapped straight and he raised a hand answer but Spock and Riley burst through the doors, immediately raising phasers towards the woman and her hostage. Karidian smiled wider, showing an impressive array of white teeth as if this was exactly what she had planned. Spock glanced over at her for a moment but then his focus switched to the captain.

"Yeoman, I suggest you put down your weapon. Your odds of escape are at zero percent." Spock ordered.

Karidian laughed.

"Tut tut...I think not. Tell them why they need to listen to me, _captain_."

Kirk looked around the people assembled and spoke.

"She has a device that will send a computer virus designed to destabilize the warp core and cause a breach."

The woman held up the small black box to show them and Charlotte felt her stomach clench in fear. Sulu stiffened next to her. She leaned close to him and whispered.

"Is that possible?"

He swallowed nervously.

"Yes."

Charlottes turned her attention back to the situation unfolding. Karidian seemed to be glowing with confidence at Kirk's statement. McCoy and Spock exchanged tense looks.

"Now, I want everyone to drop their weapons and move away." She waited while they obeyed and her voice turned sickly sweet.

"Kevin, dear, you can come here and stand next to your captain."

Riley looked at Spock who nodded that he should comply with the demand. Riley took a deep breath and stepped away from the vulcan and two-man security team, taking his place next to Kirk.

"Good boy." She cooed and then she addressed McCoy. "Now the other one." She snapped.

McCoy paled but slowly went to Charlotte's door and typed in the code to unseal the door. His hands lingered for a moment longer than necessary before moving away and the door opened. Sulu gripped her arm tightly with a whispered "No." but at Karidian's wave with the device she dully marched forward in line with Kirk and Riley.

"Thank you, gentlemen. We will be leaving now. If you try anything I will hit this button and Spock?" She waited a beat until she received his gaze.

"This is a case where the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Spock frowned slightly and Charlotte could feel Spock's disgust at Karidian mentioning one of Surak's edicts to justify her actions through their link.

"Your actions, however, are not logical."

"Oh, they are. Their deaths were meant to happen long ago. Do you remember Kirk? 'The revolution is successful. But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV'."

She eyed the trio in front of her with a look that was reminiscent of a parent explaining a solution to a frustrated child. Like it should make sense to them and they should be ok with being murdered as she parroted her father's words from so long ago.

"Don't you _see_? Your lives represent a risk to my father. And now to the Enterprise."

Kirk glared back at her, an incredulous laugh burst out of his mouth.

"Your _father_ was a murderer! A psychopathic, sick bastard who killed whole families because of his twisted eugenics beliefs!" He spat with as much vitriol as he could muster. Her chest puffed in indignation and her face flushed.

"My _father_ was and still _is_ a great man! It is people like you that are so small minded and primitive thinking that you fail to comprehend his greatness!" She was practically shouting, color high on her cheeks.

Charlotte saw Spock edge away towards Sulu but his eyes were fully trained on them. It was then that she realized what Kirk was doing. He was distracting her.

"We're so primitive that we three managed to elude your father's sentence of death for thirteen years!" He countered.

Her anger was rapidly escalating and her hands started to shake. Charlotte started to fear that whatever Spock was planning, it had better be sped up. Her face twisted and she continued to argue with Kirk. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Spock whisper something to Sulu who slowly moved off to the side and picked up a PADD, typing. It went unseen by the woman who was focused exclusively on Kirk.

"You may have noticed that your time _has_ come. It may have taken a long time but it is now."

Charlotte felt a tug in her mind and pulled her gaze to Spock who was watching her with wide brown eyes. She could feel his fear but she could also sense his confidence. She heard his voice in her mind.

_"When I say 'now', pull yourself, Riley and the captain to the ground."_

She twitched her head to let him know she understood and she moved closer to the arguing pair, Kirk on one side and Riley on her other. Karidian was positively screaming at Kirk and failed to notice McCoy and T'Peni moving closer behind her. Charlotte could feel her breathing quicken in anticipation and Riley twitched next to her aware that something was going on.

Suddenly, the ship jerked. A loud voice screamed in her mind _'NOW!'_ as the lights went off. She grabbed a handful of Riley's uniform in her right hand and Kirk's in her left and pulled down hard, falling to the ground. She stared blindly in the dark and heard a scuffle in front of her. She pulled on the two men, moving away from the sound. Kirk tried to pull away but she tightened her grip and grunted as she pulled harder. Perhaps he sensed her desperation at getting away because both of the men in her grip started moving with her. Charlotte heard a scream of anger and frustration and then silence.

The emergency lights finally came on, bathing the bay in a pale orange glow. Charlotte saw McCoy and T'Peni holding down a now unconscious Karidian. Charlotte released Kirk and Riley who immediately stood and ran over to retrieve the phaser and black box. Charlotte slumped against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief.

Kirk held the box and faced Spock who was walking over to Charlotte. He laid a hand on her shoulder, a silent way to check she was alright and she waved him off. Satisfied at her dismissal he went to the captain. Kirk let out a shaky laugh and clapped Spock on the back.

"Fast thinking, Spock. How did you do it?"

Spock raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"It was only logical to shut down the warp core and all systems that were likely tied into Miss Karidian's device. This way, even if she activated it, it would not be able to function. Lieutenant Sulu was able to send a message, using Ensign Jones' PADD to engineering."

Charlotte stayed sitting on the floor, her legs felt like jelly and she didn't trust herself to stand. She watched as McCoy and T'Peni lifted Karidian onto a biobed and activated the restraints and then they came over to her.

"Charlotte, you ok?" McCoy offered a hand to help her up and she accepted it and was stunned slightly when he pulled her into a hug. She relaxed into his embrace and sagged slightly. The weight of what just happened hitting her.

"Did you know it was her when you finished her eval?" She mumbled into his shoulder.

He pulled back and looked at her with a sad look in his eyes, regret prominent.

"I suspected. She was too confident in her answers to my questions. They were too textbook perfect but I didn't have enough to hold her."

Charlotte nodded. Psychological evaluations were rarely definitive but they were usually a good indicator that something was off. She watched the blond woman sleep for a moment. She felt a small sense of pity for her. Her father had twisted her and shaped her into the pathetically insane creature that she was today. She had truly believed that what she was doing was right.

"She's going to be sent to the Tantalus medical facility where she'll get the help that she needs. She won't hurt anyone ever again." McCoy told her.

Charlotte felt Spock come up next to her and lay a hand at the small of her back.

"And a warrant will be issued for her father, Anton Karidian as soon as we have communications."

She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her chest. Riley smiled tensely but she could see that he was glad that that portion of his past was being put to rest. Kirk had an arm around the cadet talking to him. She was glad it was over.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: Alrighty! Mostly a fluff chapter but a little drama and the answer to the big question is in here. I'm going off of votes on the poll and also reviews and comments that were tallied. Now we can have the fun of names! Anyone have any ideas on what you feel should happen? I'm all ears! I love to hear from you and sorry about the length between updates. My youngest had an accident on the school bus. Her aid didn't strap her into her wheelchair properly and she fell out and flew across the bus when the bus braked. Two broken ribs and a goose egg to the back of her head and I was beyond mad. My daughter is severely disabled only four years old and can't undo clips or have reflexes to protect herself. Thank you public school system. I guess brain tumors, hear tumors, kidney tumors, brittle bones and severe epilepsy wasn't enough of a problem that we had to add broken ribs and the risk of a punctured lung or concussion to her issues! Argh! Sorry. Just had to vent! She's fine now but sore. Anyway, I hope you guys like the chapter and again sorry about the delay but my babe takes precedence.**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Thirty

It had been nearly three months since Lenore Karidian's true intentions were discovered and her plans disrupted but Charlotte still can't help but look over her shoulder from time to time. Even though she knew that Karidian was packed off to Tantalus and her father was quickly located and is now awaiting trial she still had an uneasy feeling. Spock has told her numerous times that her behavior is illogical, bordering on paranoid but it still freaks her out. The woman had dug up so much of her past and found so many ways to try to kill her to where Karidian wasn't physically pulling the trigger but that the end result would have been the same.

Charlotte also knew that Michael was still out there, hiding and biding his time. The few messages that Lt. Uhura and Spock had found that were between Karidian and Michael were disturbing, to say the least. Most of the data had been lost due to a secondary virus that Karidian had installed but the gist of all of the messages that they could retrieve was clear. Spock had purposely blocked her from seeing them after she had learned of their existence. He believed they would cause her undue stress and be detrimental to her or the babies' health. She didn't know if she agreed with his decision but she let it go.

During her shifts in sickbay, she noticed a new and surprising development that was constantly being speculated and gossiped about by the nurses. It was nice to not be the subject of such talk for once and to be able to just listen. Christine and Mi-Cha had noticed their normally cantankerous CMO who would snarl and stay in his office was becoming softer around the edges. And to their amusement, he seemed a lot softer around a certain vulcan female doctor. There was many a late night that they would be seen in his office going over paperwork but rather than the typical snapping and scowling that was his usual behavior, she'd seen him smile and even laugh while the two were alone.

Charlotte and the other staff knew better than to comment on it to him outright. It would just cause him to clam up and that was the last thing they wanted. It was better to leave it be and maintain a positive working environment in the sickbay. Also, this way, he was focused on T'Peni rather than her and T'Peni was mostly occupied with him. This left her to her own devices and largely unnoticed which is exactly what she has been craving lately. With her abdomen now very prominent at 27 weeks she wasn't able go a day without someone saying something or attempting to help or even touch her. However, the last person to 'rub' her belly for good luck (namely Jim Kirk) received the equivalent of a Vulcan death glare from Spock.

She was finishing wrapping an ensign's ribs when she received a hail from the bridge. She slapped a hand on the wall comm.

"Jones here."

_"Ensign, there is a communication coming through for you. It's marked private."_

She sighed and turned to the young andorian sitting on the biobed, giving him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Shreval. I have to take this. Nurse Cho will finish up."

She hit the comm button a second time.

"I'll take it in my quarters. Thank you."

She tugged on her uniform shirt and headed out of the exam room, letting Cho know about the patient and that she was going on break. She passed the crew in the halls as she walked to her room. Most gave her a customary smile or wave. She felt like her life was a damn fishbowl.

She reached the solitude of her quarters and went to Spock's former room/office and pressed the accept button. Immediately the screen highlighted a familiar severe face.

"Hello, Ambassador Sarek."

He frowned slightly at her formal address but she still didn't feel too comfortable with him. He technically had manipulated her situation to where she was stuck. Yes, she was happy right now but she didn't appreciate being played and the fact that he was calling her had her instantly on alert.

_"Greetings t'nash-veh ko-fu. I trust you are well."_

He was clearly trying to set the terms of the conversation and take control. She'd play along...for now.

"Yes, Ambassador. May I ask why you are calling me rather than your son?"

His expression tightened for a moment making his features more severe but they quickly softened as Charlotte shifted and he noticed her swollen abdomen.

_"May I see?"_ He asked, clearly indicating her stomach. The question took her by surprise but she acquiesced and pushed herself out of the chair, holding one hand above and one below to show the size. She heard a sharp intake of breath over the commlink and she smiled in spite of herself before sitting back down.

_"It is...pleasing to see my grandchildren are growing and thriving."_

She nodded towards him and waited for his true reason for calling.

_"I noticed that by terran calendars it is the 26th anniversary of your birth."_

Charlotte shrugged in indifference. She hadn't celebrated her birthday since her sister's death and even then they weren't really a big deal to her.

_"My wife instructed me that these occurrences are important to humans and as such I wanted to wish you a happy birthday."_

She really didn't know what to say to that.

"Um...thank you."

He tilted his head in acknowledgement.

_"And as is customary with birthdays I have arranged for you and your sa-telsu to journey to New Vulcan for a much deserved vacation as a gift. Your last attempt at shoreleave was not fruitful and I believe that it would be best for the both of you to..."_

And that's when Charlotte lost her tenuous grasp on formality.

"Ambassador. I...appreciate your concerns and efforts but we don't need a vacation. I need to be working as does Spock because soon enough we will be forced to take time off."

He opened his mouth to object but she put up a hand.

"Thanks but no thanks." She ground out.

His cheeks flushed a slight green and she could see his eyes darken slightly at her but his face was like a mask. She didn't know what his sudden interest in her was about but she just wanted to be left alone.

_"I understand your reluctance at wanting to visit but there are other pressing issues at hand that need to be addressed."_

_Aren't there always?_ She wondered vaguely.

"I'm sure that they're not that pressing otherwise I would have been informed about them."

He let out a deep breath and looked at her. She could feel his frustration as if he was right in front of her rather than thousands of lightyears away talking to her via subspace.

_"There have been questions regarding the safety of you remaining on the Enterprise as well as press criticism regarding your relationship with my son. These two issues need to be put to rest and put to rest rather quickly."_

Charlotte's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she had to lean back in the chair to think. Her first thought was to shout at Sarek to mind his own business and that everyone else should too but as she had been learning from Spock, sometimes it's best to approach the issue differently and dare she say it, 'logically'.

"Well...on the issue of my safety, I haven't been injured that badly and the person responsible has been apprehended. In fact, the major incident was when I was on Earth not on the Enterprise." She shuddered at the memory of Michael touching her.

"And as for the press issue...I guess we could release a statement to them." She felt satisfied with her answer but from Sarek's intense look, he wasn't.

_"I believe that the human saying 'Actions speak louder than words' is appropriate in this instance."_

Charlotte frowned. He was definitely up to something.

"What do you want, Sarek?" She was starting to lose her sense of propriety.

A hint of a smile ghosted across his lips at her addressing him so informally. He brought his hands forward to rest on the desk and leaned forward.

_"When Spock's mother and I were joined we had two separate ceremonies."_

Charlotte raised an eyebrow and waited to see where this was going, suspicion gnawing at her stomach.

_"We had the traditional vulcan ceremony in private. It was...different from your experience but in essence the end result was the same."_

Charlotte's hands tightened their grip on the armrests of the chair.

"Yes?" She asked carefully.

Sarek's expression darkened at some unknown memory. His angular features turned away for a moment and Charlotte could see the pain reflected in the gesture.

_"We had hoped that our marriage would be accepted through that ceremony alone. A vulcan marriage, as you know, goes far deeper than that of a human one. You are bonded. Telepathically linked and joined for life with each other until death."_

Charlotte fidgeted in her seat as Sarek looked at her, a silent plea in his eyes. He was trying to make her understand his own troubled past.

_"The criticism that has been directed towards yourself and my son is similar in nature to what my Amanda and I went through. The more radical groups of humans believe that you are being mistreated and forced into this situation in a cruel way. That there is no love or affection. That a vulcan cannot care for a human because they have the belief that we have no emotions. There is also the belief that you are being telepathically controlled."_

Charlotte's mouth dropped open at his words. They were spoken with such heated disgust and vitriol that she was surprised that they were coming from a vulcan. She could see the hurt and anger at the insinuation. She needed to tell him that it was ridiculous. That Spock definitely cared for her and she wasn't being mistreated in any way. But there was the underlying truth that she had been forced into this situation but she certainly wasn't being controlled!

"I understand where you're coming from, Sarek but I don't see where I could help change the minds of these individuals. I could release a statement to the press. Maybe one with Spock but other than that I don't know what I can do."

Sarek raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, his skeptical look made Charlotte want to squirm but she held his gaze.

_"I believe that you do understand what I am asking. If you will recall, earlier in our conversation I stated that my wife and I went through a similar trial and we performed two ceremonies to put these rumors to rest. I am certain that if the same was done in your situation then this problem would cease to exist."_

Charlotte's brow wrinkled as the implications of Sarek's request fully sank in. Her eyes narrowed at the aged vulcan on the screen.

"Are you saying we should have a terran wedding?"

He nodded solemnly while Charlotte shook her head.

"On New Vulcan? Where they treat humans and human/Vulcan hybrids like they're a crime against nature?"

Again Sarek nodded but when he spoke it was in a calm voice. Almost like he was trying to not spook her.

_"The attitudes of the remaining Vulcan population is much more liberal than it has been in the past. Our survival is now dependent on interspecies bonds and relationships. More prominently human/Vulcan pairings."_

He let out a sigh and she could see the stress and pressure he was under. Trying to handle a cultural change as large as this must be taxing.

_"There are still many who are opposed to 'watering down' vulcan blood and wish to preserve the purity of the vulcan race and way of life but, as you yourself have experienced, sometimes this is not possible. Healers and vulcan females are in high demand to stave off the madness and death of pon farr. The fact that you and my son have successfully bonded and produced a successful pregnancy leads to hope for the continuation of our race. My son is also a symbol of proof that the vulcan way can be preserved even with his mixed blood and your research with Dr. McCoy provides the means for reproduction even in the face of impossibility. Those three factors provide the triad of success."_

She scowled at Sarek.

"Humans are not breeding mares to be used for your people's survival." She snarled.

He put his hands up in supplication, his eyebrows shooting up to his severe haircut.

_"You misunderstand what I am saying. My request is to show the Vulcan people that a mixed race marriage is not taboo. That it can be fruitful for both parties and that both cultures can be respected. For the skeptics, this would be a show that your rights were being observed and that you were happy in your relationship with Spock."_

Her scowl deepened and she lowered her hands to clench under the table, out of sight. She was not a show dog to be paraded around. Her 'marriage' to Spock still didn't really feel real. She loved him but it was something else to say it in front of people and take those vows.

Sarek's eyes narrowed slightly and he leaned forward to look at her closely.

_"You are happy? Are you not?"_

The question surprised her.

"Yes but traditionally a human marriage ceremony is done when the man gives the woman a ring, asks for her hand in marriage and then, if she says yes, they have a ceremony. It's not some show. Especially not one that's arranged. I don't feel comfortable with that. Spock hasn't asked me and even though by your culture's standards we're married, I still don't really feel ready for that move. Especially in front of other people."

She took a deep breath and continued.

"Spock hasn't told me about any of these problems with the press and critics. And he hasn't asked this of me. Perhaps your concerns are unwarranted."

Sarek's expression softened and he sighed. A very unvulcan like act.

_"They are, unfortunately, very warranted. His grandmother and I have made him aware of these problems and his response has been similar to yours. He has never been comfortable with his position of being a child of a public figure and add to that being the only vulcan/human hybrid...it was and still is a lot to handle. I understand that now but it is now a burden you must share with him. You are my ko-fu, my daughter, and as such it needs to be shown to the public."_

She was glad that he understood the difficulties that Spock had undergone in his youth but what he was asking was pretty rude and too much.

"What has Spock said about this?" She asked pointedly.

Sarek looked distinctly uncomfortable. The tips of his ears turned a slight green and he looked like he wanted squirm. Maybe it was the time she had spent with Spock that made it easier for her to read vulcans but also, a lot of Spock's mannerisms were very much like his father's.

_"He stated that if you were to learn of this that it would upset the balance he had achieved with you. That it may cause conflict and your relationship may regress into what it was at the beginning. He did not wish to put you through the difficulties of a public announcement in your condition."_

"And your opinion, Sarek?" She drilled.

_"That you do care for my son, despite the unusual circumstances that brought you together. That a public display of that affection is a small thing when compared with the benefits it would bring. There have been threats against you and Spock that concern me and the other reasons I have previously mentioned would be addressed."_

Charlotte pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. Why couldn't people just leave her alone? She wondered if this was how it was going to be.

"Yeah. I'll have to think about it. I'll talk to you later."

She reached for the disconnect button but Sarek's deep voice stopped her.

_"I look forward to seeing you in four weeks. Happy birthday Charlotte. May there be many more."_

She gave a terse nod, ignoring his statement of seeing her but in a way she was grateful that somebody remembered her birthday. Not one person had seemed to notice and even though she didn't really care, a small part of her did.

She stretched and felt a few kicks from the inside on her right, on her left she felt a lazy twist. It was still a shock to feel these strange sensation but her heart sped up in excitement at each movement. Spock had yet to feel it. Every time she tried to get him to feel it, the twins suddenly stilled. Whether it was because of their own primitive sense of nervousness or just bad luck, she didn't know but she could sense Spock's frustration though their link. She wondered if Sarek had had the same thing happen to him during Amanda's pregnancy and she resolved to ask him another time. Maybe when he wasn't putting pressure on them.

Right now she was still on shift and she hauled herself up and headed back to the medical bay. The rest of her shift passed in a blur of minor injuries and stock-checking. She kicked off her boots and walked barefoot in the stockroom closet as she checked the equipment. They were running low on power cells and self adjusting pressure bandages but other than that, they were well stocked. She didn't get why McCoy and Chapel asked her to do this task. It took her a good two hours in the cramped closet and it had been done only two weeks ago...

"Son of a _bitch_!" How gullible was she. She literally face palmed. At least now she had warning. She quickly smoothed her errant curls and straightened her maternity shirt and tried to pull on her boots but her feet had swollen so it was impossible to get them on. It gave a whole new meaning to the saying barefoot and pregnant.

Since the pregnancy had become more obvious she had been having embarrassing breakouts and was glad that today wasn't one of them but having to step out barefoot was not one of her better moments. She wasn't one to enjoy surprises and she hoped her instincts were wrong but she'd be damned if she was going to be rude to her co-workers who had clearly planned something. Inventory was a job typically reserved for the orderlies and setting her this meaningless, time-consuming task had to have been a distraction.

She finished her job in a haze, thinking about what Sarek had said and her responsibilities. What if one of the radical groups hurt Spock because of her not performing the ceremony? Did Spock even want to go through with it? Did he just feel obligated? A shotgun wedding was not what she had been planning for herself. Literally walking down the proverbial aisle fit to burst with child was not what she had wanted. Was it for her, for Spock or for the unnamed masses? She'd have to talk with Spock later but for now, she had other duties to attend to.

Spock and her had finally decided to find out the genders of their growing children and if what she suspected was going to take place, then it would be the perfect time to make their announcement. She wished Kevin was still onboard but he'd left a week ago to start the fall term and his final year at Starfleet academy. He had decided to take Lt. Uhura's advice and specialize in communications. He truly had a gift and it was though his efforts that enough evidence had been collected to prosecute Anton Karidian and Lenore Karidian. Lenore, on the other hand, was deemed mentally unstable to withstand a trial but she would get the help she needed and never be released.

She heard a tapping at the door and T'Peni poked her head in. Her eyes fell to her swollen ankles and feet. Charlotte had rolled up her pants and was moving stiffly as she worked, her back had a slight ache to it but it was manageable.

"Yes, Doctor?" She asked pointedly to bring her attention away from her body and to her face.

The vulcan woman moved into the cramped quarters of the stockroom and sat on one of the boxes in the corner. She moved with a grace that Charlotte envied. In her current state, she could only manage a jerky wobble, not like that of her previous dancing days that now felt long gone.

"I was sent to retrieve you. I am sure that you are an intelligent woman and know what is about to take place."

_Well duh!_

She refrained from saying it aloud but simply smiled a tight smile.

"Yes. I have to say I'm definitely surprised but thank you for warning me."

A thought hit her from her conversation with Sarek.

"T'Peni? Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

T'Peni frowned slightly but nodded her acceptance.

"I recently received a call from Sarek and he stated that there is a shortage of unbonded females. Are you bonded?"

T'Peni turned away thinking for a moment before replying.

"I am unbonded by choice. I prefer a more liberal way of life and though it may seem like I am abandoning my people, I feel that I require more out of life than to become someone's wife. I wish to experience more and my views on humans and human/Vulcan hybrids is controversial. This is why I have chosen to remain apart from those ideals. I believe that I may have found someone with whom I wish to spend a long time with. It may end up as more or not but I am determined to, as you humans say, make the most of the time we have. The Vulcan way of life is changing and I wish to be a part of that change. Your and Spock's relationship personifies those changes and it will help to open people's eyes to this."

Charlotte smiled at her answer. Maybe Sarek wasn't so far off base in his strange request that people needed to see that these unorthodox relationships can work for both parties. She wasn't sure if she'd follow through but the ball was definitely in Spock's court now. It depended on how he went about it as to whether she'd go with it.

"Thanks for that. You actually helped me with a dilemma of my own."

She shifted her body and looked down at her feet. She couldn't step out like this. Apparently, T'Peni had already known and produced a pair of larger boots from behind her back. Charlotte smiled brightly.

"Thank you."

T'Peni accepted her gratitude with her usual stoic grace and waited while Charlotte pulled on her boots. When she stood, a sudden flurry from the babies took her breath away, causing her to gasp and sit back down in a huff. T'Peni immediately laid her hands on her abdomen, silently asking permission and Charlotte pulled up her blouse. T'Peni's hands were warm as she gently probed and ran her fingers across, her eyes closed in deep concentration.

A small gasp escaped the woman's lips, a more surprised sound than one of alarm but it still had Charlotte tense in concern.

"Is everything alright?" She bit her lip in worry and waited while T'Peni gently lowered her top. There was a sparkle of amusement in her dark brown eyes.

"I do believe that you and the commander will be quite busy with this pair. I was able to sense mischief and curiosity from them and they both seem to have well developing minds. Not as organized as pure vulcan children but definitely no less intelligent, perhaps more intelligent than Vulcan children because of the human influence. I have found humans to adapt quicker and come up with solutions that are creative and often more successful than the logical solutions from our race."

Charlotte grinned widely and accepted T'Peni's assistance in getting up after she put on her new boots. Her answer had just fully confirmed her interest in the CMO in a roundabout way and it was a nice thing to hear.

She was careful to avoid skin contact with the woman to not increase her discomfort but T'Peni wasn't so careful. Vulcans, in Charlotte's limited experience, did everything carefully and with a purpose. Perhaps T'Peni was trying to let her know that she had been accepted by her or that she was trying to encourage her in her relations to their race. Maybe it was something else entirely but she did feel a lot calmer as she was led through the unusually quiet medbay and towards the mess hall.

"You do know that it was pretty obvious what was going on when McCoy shoved me into inventory."

The corner of T'Peni's lips twitched.

"That is what I stated to Leonard, however he believes that his plot will be successful."

Charlotte struggled to stifle a laugh at both the fact that McCoy thought she wouldn't figure it out and that T'Peni addressed Dr. McCoy by his given name.

"I believe that you should attempt to act surprised to ward off any disappointment the crew may feel at their plans being deduced by you."

"Of course."

The doors to the recroom were closed and Charlotte could see that there weren't any lights on, only adding to the feeling of nervousness and hint of excitement. T'Peni gestured for her to enter first and as she did, her eyes squinted in the dark. She could make out nervous whispering and she smiled as she barked out.

"Computer, Lights!"

Immediately, she was overwhelmed by a loud "SURPRISE!" And she saw there were balloons and streamers decorating the room. Pinks and purples seemed to be the prevalent colors and she saw a good size cake off to one side. It was a purple, marble looking confection that had vivid blue writing on it wishing her a happy birthday. Everyone rushed forward and wished her a happy birthday and she wasn't used to the tactile contact and forced herself to smile and thank everyone. Even Lt. Uhura came forward and was the utmost in polite and seemed genuinely happy for her but none more so than Spock who seemed to appear out of nowhere and gently placed a hand at the small of her back to reassure her.

She smiled brightly at the staff who were there and Spock hovered next to her sensing when she felt nervous. She appreciated his presence. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and she even spotted Ensign Chekov off to one corner with a young security officer. The way he was blushing bright red was only matched by her red tunic. They looked like a cute couple. She held her punch and continued to survey the room. Lt. Cmdr. Scott and Uhura were dancing among a large group and though Uhura looked happy, she couldn't help but smile at the frequent winces the woman suffered as Scotty was clearly born with two left feet but they kept dancing through it all. Scotty only had eyes for her and it was adorable.

On the opposite end of the scale, she saw Dr. McCoy sitting next to T'Peni. He was definitely out of his element in a social environment and T'Peni was watching the dancing with avid interest. She felt the air behind her stir and soon she was face to face with Kirk, a very mischievous glint in his blue eyes. She raised an eyebrow and smirked at him.

"Captain." She greeted.

He waved his hand.

"Jim, Charlotte. It's Jim." He thumbed over to McCoy and T'Peni.

"She looks a little like a depressed wallflower. Don't you think?"

She could have face palmed if what she thought he was going to do was what he was planning.

"What are you planning, Jim?" She asked with a nervous lilt.

He shrugged and smiled wide, his white teeth reminiscent of a shark.

"I think T'Peni looks like she wants to dance."

She put a hand on his arm to stop his movement.

"What are you planning, Jim?" She repeated in a hiss.

He just turned back and smiled wider.

"I'm trying to provoke a reaction from my friend. Bones needs a swift kick up the ass to get in gear. Everyone else is dancing."

She leaned closer to him and whispered.

"If he breaks your nose, I'm not going to reset it."

He just shrugged and she watched in amusement as Kirk offered his hand to T'Peni. She looked to McCoy who was gritting his teeth before the you g woman accepted Kirk's arm. She could feel Spock's amusement tickling through their bond as they watched McCoy's face get redder and redder. Kirk was deep in discussion with T'Peni. Her eyes kept darting to McCoy and her pose stiffened as Kirk's hands slowly drifted lower.

"How long do you think McCoy will...never mind." She laughed over the rim of her cup.

They watched in amusement as the clearly irate doctor stiffly walked over and in no uncertain terms told Kirk to leave and he placed his arms gently around T'Peni's waist and led her in a slow dance across the floor. They moved closer together and Charlotte smiled at T'Peni's now relaxed posture in McCoy's arms.

"Perhaps now is an ideal time for our announcement." Spock whispered to Charlotte.

She dragged her eyes away from the sight and nodded her agreement. Spock picked up a glass and tapped it with a fork to gain everyone's attention. The music quieted and Charlotte felt her face get red as everyone's eyes turned to them. She looked at the group and cleared her throat nervously before she spoke. She hoped her voice didn't waver as much as she thought it was.

"First off, I just want to say thank you for this wonderful party. It makes me feel like a valued member of the crew."

The people assembled clapped politely and she waited while they quieted down.

"And I wanted to also answer a question that a lot of you have been wondering. Spock and I..." He moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist as a gesture of support. "...have decided to let you all in on the secret. We are going to have a boy and a girl."

She placed a hand on her stomach and smiled at the uproar of excited muttering and congratulations. She could hear a few cheers in the back and talks of winning a betting pool made her laugh.

Chapel rushed up and enveloped her in a hug.

"I _knew_ it! Congratulations and happy birthday!"

Uhura and Scotty were next. She was almost frightening in her excitement. Charlotte vaguely wondered when she was going to be starting her own family by the manic look in her eyes.

"How long have you both known? Now we can finally start planning the baby shower!"

Charlotte put her hands up.

"Whoa! I...uh...don't need one of those. We're fine."

Uhura just dragged her into a hug and whispered forcefully into her ear.

"_Oh no you don't!_ The crew is just as excited about this and it'll be good for moral!"

Charlotte was finally released and had a nervous smile on her face at the lieutenant's vehement insistence.

"Sounds great." She managed before Uhura left with a smirk, a confused Scotty following her. She turned to Spock and was about to ask what that was about when he spoke.

"I have learned _not_ to argue with Nyota. She tends to be correct in her assumptions and endeavors."

She nodded shakily and was pulled into another hug by Kirk. He pulled away looking as excited as a puppy on Christmas.

"You know James or Jamie is a great name. It works for both!" She rolled her eyes at him and Spock put a hand on Charlotte's shoulder.

"We are not naming our children after you, captain." He said stiffly.

Charlotte laughed at his response and shook her head.

"It's a good name." He tried again with a smile.

Charlotte shook her head in between laughs as Kirk left.

The party ended after a few hours and by the end Charlotte was falling asleep at the back of the room only to be gently shook by Spock. She wanted to talk to him about her conversation with Sarek but she didn't want to end such a nice day with drama. Perhaps tomorrow.

She allowed Spock lead her back to her bed and let him help her into her pajamas. She only fell asleep fully when she felt his strong arms wrap around her and a gentle kiss to her brow sent her into a peaceful sleep. Tomorrow, she'd deal with it. Right now she was happy.


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: Sorry for the long hiatus! I've been stuck on doing this chapter. Haha! Stuck on 'Stuck'. I hope it's ok and as always, reviews are my fix to keep me going so please let me know what you think!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Thirty-One

Charlotte was wrapped in a cocoon of vibrating warmth and comfort, a hand under her shirt was splayed possessively across her large belly. The twins were making themselves known by kicking and twisting. The vibrating hum behind her just got a little louder causing her to feel it in her very bones. Wait...a thought occurred to her and she smiled slyly.

"Spock? Are you...purring?"

The vibrations immediately cease and the hand on her belly twitches minutely. She places a hand over his and snuggles back into his lean body.

"It's alright. I just think it's cute." She reassures him.

"I was most certainly not purring."

"Mmhmm..." She mumbles. She feels a small bubble of amusement through their bond. He nuzzles the back of her neck, pressing small kisses behind her ear and she sighs in contentment. All in all, not a bad way to wake up in the morning. A particularly vigorous kick from her inside causes Spock to straighten and lean on one elbow to look down at Charlotte.

"Is this what you feel all the time, ashayem?"

She nods and smiles. She's glad that he has finally gotten the chance to feel his children move. His mouth is slightly open as he moves his hand on her stomach under her guidance and his eyes widen. A look of wonder flashes across his features.

"Our children are most...dynamic." He almost breathes the last word.

Charlotte patiently lets him feel at her. He shuffles down and moves closer to her abdomen, lifting her sleep shirt and presses an ear to her. His hair tickles her slightly and his hands are on either side of her preventing her movement as he listens intently.

"Fascinating."

Charlotte stifles a giggle at the sight. It almost looks like Spock is scientifically analyzing her belly except for the slight curl to his lips and the sense of wonder thrumming through their bond. She reached down and gently stroked his hair as he continued to listen.

"I hope you still find it fascinating when they're up and crying in the middle of gamma shift." She deadpanned.

Spock slowly lifts his head and fixes Charlotte with an intense look.

"I assure you, I will always find our children to be fascinating and amazing...even in the middle of gamma shift because they are ours and they are a wondrous miracle."

He carefully climbed up her body and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Because they are a part of you."

Charlotte felt her eyes begin to prick with tears at the conviction behind his statement. The pure love that he had for them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight, wishing that things could always be as simple as they were right now. No responsibilities, no stress, no need for people to judge them, just...them.

Spock moved to lay on his side next to her and pulled her close. As he held her dark thoughts started to creep in on her peaceful mood. The memory of her conversation with Sarek and her expected duties tried to drag her down. She needed to tell Spock but he seemed so content.

"Charlotte, what is bothering you?"

He lifted his head and she wanted to tell him but it might upset him. It did her.

"Nothing. I..." She trailed her fingers up his arm, thinking. If she told him that Sarek was putting pressure on her despite Spock's request for privacy it could cause a rift between them. It could even cause Spock to feel rejected by her. She certainly didn't want to cause Spock and Sarek to fight.

Their joint grief over the loss of Amanda had brought them closer than they ever had been before and Charlotte did not want to upset that delicate balance that they were still navigating. If anything, she was the outsider trying to win favor but it was still a process that pushed her boundaries of personal beliefs. She went for deflection.

"I was just thinking that it's been a while since I had a girl's night and it's been so long since you've spent some time with your friends. I think it'd do us some good to spend time with other people."

She smiled weakly at him. His eyebrows drew together in a small frown. She knew that he knew she was not being entirely truthful but she was glad he wasn't calling her on it.

"After all, pretty soon we won't have the time to do it." She finished lamely.

"Indeed." He scrutinized her for a moment before he pushed himself up. Charlotte soon followed suit and together they got ready for the day.

As they were leaving, Spock's hand shot out to grip Charlotte's hand to stop her.

"Charlotte, you do know that you can tell me anything, correct?" He asked as he searched her face.

She felt incredibly guilty as he looked at her. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze to emphasize his point and a warm tingling sensation shot up her arm and to her chest. It made her feel all the more relaxed and happy. She smiled and leaned up to press a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Yes, Spock. I do. Thank you."

Spock watched her leave, her body swaying under the increased weight and he wondered what was causing her to hide something from him. His experience with human females was limited. He knew that his mother sometimes kept things from his father to keep the peace in their household. He hadn't done anything, that he knew of, to cause this discord.

He headed to the bridge to start his shift. They were currently mapping an area of space known as the Betreka Nebula. It was expected to be a routine exploration so there were no away missions expected unless they were to find a new planet in the depths of the nebula. It was a standard mix of hydrogen, helium, trace particles and subspace radiation. The colors were reminiscent of the Rosetta Nebula located near the Monoceros constellation. The reds, greens and golds swirled brightly on the viewscreen.

Spock frequently needed to remind his science staff to return to work as they found the sight distracting. The captain was particularly enthusiastic about the exploration of the nebula in the hopes of finding a new discovery as they were the first ship to have this opportunity.

He felt the air next to him stir and turned to see Kirk leaning over his station. He was almost bouncing on his toes as he read the reports filing in.

"Spock, is there a chance we can collect a sample and look here..." Kirk pointed to an area that had yet to be scanned.

"Is that a K-type star?" He asked.

Spock focused his scanner to where Kirk was indicating.

"Indeed. It is an orange K-type star. There appears to be a number of planets orbiting the star creating a solar system as well." He answered quietly.

Spock leaned back and couldn't help feeling a slight amount of surprise. The captain never failed to surprise him. He had not realized that Kirk was interested in the sciences or stellar cartography.

"I'd like to get a better look at that when we finish this section." Kirk stated.

Spock nodded his agreement and set up instructions for a probe to be launched to collect a sample. They would be ready to enter the newly discovered system by tomorrow. He focused on the task of analyzing what he could with the Enterprise's sensors but the ionizing effect of the radiation was making his task more difficult to gain precise readings. It was nearing the end of his shift before Kirk spoke to him again.

Spock, I was thinking it's been a while since we've talked. I was wondering if you're free tonight...?"

Spock frowned minutely contemplating his offer. He did not know if this would qualify as a "boy's night" in Charlotte's books but it was a night out with someone he considered a friend. The captain also, since he was human, may know more on handling the issues regarding Charlotte. His father has been insistent in his demands and though Sarek's wishes mirror his own, he does not want to press her further than she is willing to go.

"That is agreeable."

Kirk grinned and slapped him on the back causing Spock to stiffen at the unexpected contact. Kirk only smiled wider at his reaction.

"See you at 1800. My quarters ok?"

Spock bowed his head to agree.

Charlotte was finishing up her analysis of Lieutenant Jr. Grade Roscothra's throat culture and found it was positive for strep. She quickly went over the young woman's allergy list and determined a safe antibiotic for use, forwarding the results to Dr. M'Benga. She waited for his agreement of her findings and handed he young doctor the appropriate hypospray and a bottle of pain blockers.

"Thank you, Miss Jones."

She nodded and left the doctor to finish. M'Benga was really nice to work with. He had a calm, soothing demeanor that instantly put patients at ease but in a crisis she preferred McCoy's acerbic treatment style.

She stretched and could feel the muscles in her back protest her long hours. She wondered vaguely just how much bigger she was going to get. At this point she was measuring the same size as a 36 week pregnant woman with one fetus but she was only 27 weeks along. Her musings were interrupted by a throat clearing behind her. She turned around and saw Lt. Uhura who was smiling nervously near the nurse's station.

"Yes...uh...What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

She was still uneasy around Uhura. She knew that she had been Spock's rock after the Narada and for a time after. She wondered if Spock ever compared her to the Lieutenant. After all, Uhura was more talented, beautiful and had a presence about her that demanded attention. Currently, Charlotte looked like and felt like a beached whale.

"Actually, I was wondering if there was something I could do for you? I overheard Spock talk to the captain and they were going to be hanging out tonight so I figured you might want some company?"

The darker woman's eyes positively shone in excitement and Charlotte raised her eyebrows in surprise. Uhura had never sought her out before. Normally Charlotte would hang out with the nursing staff in her time off.

"Uhhh...well..." She hesitated.

"Perfect! I'll see you at 1800. My place! Monty's running a level three diagnostic so he'll be out."

Charlotte raised a finger to protest but the other woman spun on her heel, ponytail flying and waved as she breezed out of the sickbay.

"What was _that_ about?"

Christine Chapel flopped in the seat next to Charlotte with a slight frown on her face as she watched Uhura leave. Charlotte shrugged.

"I don't know. She wants to hang out, I guess."

Chapel tapped at the screen to pull up and send off her report while Charlotte sat thinking.

"Doesn't she normally hang out with the bridge crew?" Chris asked idly.

"Yeah."

"Maybe she's been getting tired of all the testosterone. I know that Yeoman Rand used to hang out with her but since she left to join the academy and not be enlisted but become an officer, Uhura's been stuck with guys for company."

Charlotte frowned slightly.

"Yeah. Maybe that's it."

Spock rang the buzzer to Kirk's quarters at precisely 1800 hours on the dot and was surprised when Dr. McCoy answered the door.

"Well, are ya comin' in or aren't ya?"

McCoy moved aside to let him pass and he slowly entered the quarters. Kirk was sitting on the couch signing what looked to be paperwork and he had a large stack of reports next to him. As Spock came closer Kirk looked up with a smile and quickly shifted to accommodate him. Spock looked at McCoy and then back at Kirk.

"I was unaware that the doctor would be joining us this evening." He said tersely.

McCoy rolled his eyes and walked over to the cabinet and pulled out two bottles and three small glasses. Spock eyed the drinks closely and couldn't help a surprised look towards the captain.

"How did you come across k'vass?" He asked quickly.

Kirk smirked and poured himself and McCoy a brandy and then poured Spock a measure of the Vulcan beverage. Spock carefully took the drink and sipped the sugary intoxicating beverage.

"An acquaintance of mine suggested it and was kind enough to locate a dealer of unusual spirits and k'vass was one of them."

McCoy shook his head ruefully and smiled.

"And would this acquaintance of yours have pointed ears?" McCoy hedged.

Kirk put a finger to his nose and winked at McCoy.

"Ah, but that would be telling." The young blond sat back and sipped at his brandy.

"But no, she doesn't have pointed ears but she does have other...unusual attributes." Kirk waggled is eyebrows at the doctor's eye roll and faced Spock.

"So Spock, how's it going with Charlotte? I've noticed there's fewer glares lately from her end but I'm getting figurative glares from New Vulcan." He leaned forward and frowned as he swirled his drink. Spock wasn't sure what he was talking about.

"I am sure that I do not know what you mean."

"The Enterprise has been specifically requested to go to New Vulcan in four weeks. The request was specifically by Ambassador Sarek." Kirk explained.

If Spock could have sighed with frustration, he would have. He had made his opinions clear to his father over the past two months. He had been wanting to do what his father suggested and show Charlotte the respect he had for human culture however, he had, as his mother would have said, been waiting for the right moment. During their last stop at Starbase 32 he had procured a ring for her. He had had to have it made and rushed as they were only there for three days but the jeweler delivered at the last minute. Spock had kept the piece hidden in his office until he knew it was time.

He took another drink of the k'vass but this time it was a deeper swallow, as if to prepare for delivering bad news.

"My father is pressuring me to have a formal and very...public wedding ceremony to Charlotte."

Kirk and McCoy's expressions mirrored each other's in their surprise.

"Why?" Kirk asked.

"Aren't you two already...uh...bonded or married?" McCoy waved a hand vaguely at Spock and then around in a general direction.

Spock's brow furrowed in irritation at Sarek's meddling but he understood the concern.

"We are. However, there are certain groups that believe that Charlotte's rights are not being observed as a Terran and that there is the possibility that she may be being controlled and forced. My father believes that these rumors and illogical speculations would be put to rest with a public display. Some of these speculations are especially vicious due to her ex-husband's association with the xenophobic terrorist group Terra Prime."

Spock held the glass tightly as he remembered Michael Jacobs. He still had unfinished business with that man if he ever saw him again. Spock would go to any lengths to ensure that his bondmate and now his children would remain safe.

McCoy leaned back in the chair he was sitting in across from Spock, his lips pressed together in a very serious expression as he regarded Spock.

"You do realize that Charlotte didn't like you too much there at he beginning." He shrugged and shook his head. "Hell, I thought the woman was going to disembowel you in your sleep but as time wore on and circumstances changed, her opinion changed and she began to love you and I hate to say it but your father's right. More people saw the beginning of your relationship than what it is now." He raised his glass at Spock.

"They need to see that, in your case, opposites do attract." He tipped his glass back as Spock raised an eyebrow at the doctor's astute observation.

"Perhaps it is also true for yourself, Dr. McCoy." He allowed a small smirk as McCoy's eyes widened and he started to cough and sputter his drink. Kirk laughed at his flustered friend and Spock's keen sense of how to needle him.

"He's got you there, Bones."

McCoy turned a brilliant shade of violet at Jim siding with Spock and he looked away.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jim."

Kirk's jaw dropped and he pointed.

"Are you serious? All I've heard about for the past several months is T'Peni this and T'Peni that! Even the nurses have commented about it. You like her a lot." Kirk wagged a finger at him. "You always complain about everyone but you don't about her."

The doctor scowled at his friend for a moment before turning to Spock in an attempt to deflect the conversation.

"So, Spock, what're you gonna do? We have to go to New Vulcan. Are you going to ask her?"

Spock had figured that was where the conversation was going. He was about to answer when Jim interrupted.

"Hold on. Is that why Sarek commed Charlotte on her birthday?"

Spock jerked his head around and immediately stiffened. Charlotte had not mentioned this. If it had been a message to simply convey best wishes she would have said something but clearly there was more to what had been said. If Sarek had pressured her then there was no way that he could ask without it being construed as simply following his father's instructions even though it was something he had been considering independent of Sarek's wishes.

"I did not know that she had been contacted but if it is what I suspect then I am faced with a conundrum. If I ask, it will seem as if I am doing my father's and the public's bidding however if I do not ask her then she may feel slighted and asking her is something that I do believe I should do but not under duress for either of us. Either option could hurt her emotionally."

Kirk bit his lip and frowned as he poured everyone another round. The drinks gave them all something to do with their hands while they thought. Kirk sighed and put his tumbler down.

"Spock. I have to say, you're screwed. We're gonna have to think on this one."

**Meanwhile**

Charlotte nervously shifted her stance and pressed Uhura's door chime. She heard a muffled 'come in' and slowly made her way inside.

The difference in Uhura's quarters compared to her old single room was pretty significant square footage wise. Whereas hers had been like a studio apartment, Uhura's was more along the line of a one-bedroom apartment. It was decorated in golds, reds and oranges. All warm colors and statues of what looked to be African art. There was a beautiful tapestry along the back wall near the couch that had a sunset woven in, silver and gold threads interlaced throughout the intricate design. It was breathtaking.

"Hi! Have a seat. You must be tired from your shift."

Charlotte jumped at the voice behind her and saw Uhura walking out of the bathroom in a pair of maroon sleep pants and an oversized shirt that hung off of one shoulder. She had her hair loose around her shoulders and a kind smile that helped Charlotte to relax a touch.

Uhura fumbled at the replicator while Charlotte gingerly sat on he small love seat in the living area of the lieutenant's quarters. Charlotte's nerves were pretty frayed by the time Uhura came back carrying two bowls and two glasses on a tray. Charlotte could smell the food and it smelled wonderful.

"I assume you haven't eaten yet. I thought you might like to try something new. Roasted eggplant salad. It's pretty good. And then we can talk."

Charlotte took the proffered plate and waited until the other woman started eating before taking a bite of her own dish. It was amazing! She had to stifle the urge to moan at the flavor and Uhura's smile at her obvious pleasure made her relax.

"Good, huh? It's my mom's recipe. It took me the better part of two years to get the replicator to produce it properly."

Charlotte nodded enthusiastically because she was too busy eating.

In short order both women were finished with their meal and were sitting in what felt like a comfortable silence until Uhura broached a subject that Charlotte was afraid of.

"So, how's it going with you and Spock?"

Charlotte looked at the other woman for signs of treachery, deceit or discomfort but found none in her soft brown eyes. There seemed to be a genuine interest, a kind smile painted on her face only served to prove this.

"Fine. We're doing ok." Charlotte grimaced as she remembered Sarek. "It's actually outside influences that are making things more complicated than they need to be."

Uhura nodded sagely and her lips pursed into a thin line as she frowned at something over her shoulder.

"Sarek." She uttered and it was Charlottes' turn to frown.

How had she known?

"Yes but..." Charlotte started but Uhura put a hand on her leg effectively silencing her.

"When I was going through the transmissions I had to see if there were threats against Spock as well. Sarek's been pushing for this for a while and...I saw that he contacted you. I didn't see what was in that transmission but I can make an educated guess." She sighed and bit her lip. "And there's also the fact that the Enterprise is headed to New Vulcan in about a month so...am I right?"

Charlotte pressed her lips together but jerked her head in irritation. Not at Uhura but at Sarek for making demands of them that they weren't ready to fulfill. She wanted to be unnoticed, not shoved into the public eye. A prime example was not that long ago when she had helped in the research project to synthesize a valid fertility drug for the Vulcan people Dr. McCoy had wanted to name her as a partner along with M'Benga and Chapel. She had staunchly refused. She preferred the background rather than being the star of the show.

Uhura moved closer and waited for her to speak.

"He wants us to have a public ceremony on New Vulcan. A..." She shifted nervously. Even though she knew the woman in front of her was in a relationship with someone else, the memory of the fact that she _had_ been in a relationship with Spock still made it an uncomfortable subject.

"A...uh...wedding ceremony." She bit her lip and took a shuddering breath deciding to plow on. "While I don't want to have a huge production I do want _something_ considering Spock calls me his wife but just not so soon." She threw her hands up in frustration.

"I mean...what I mean is that I don't want Sarek dictating how and what we do and I don't want Spock to ask me because Sarek told him to but at the same time I don't want to tell our kids that we got married in a cave." She could feel tears burning at the corners of her eyes and she blinked them back angrily.

"Do you know what I mean?" A deep breath and she tilted her head back. "Hell, _I _don't even know what I mean!" _Damn hormones!_

A tinkling laugh at her side caused her head to snap around and Uhura quickly stopped and placed a warm hand on her shoulder, her face turning sympathetic and understanding in one swift move.

"I like to think I know Spock and I think he was waiting for the _logical_ time to do as Sarek wanted but _not_ _because _of Sarek. Spock wouldn't do something he didn't want to do and I think he'll surprise you."

Uhura smiled as she continued.

"Spock is something of a rebel compared to other vulcans. Did you know he turned down a very prestigious offer to join the Vulcan Science Academy because they said his mother was a disadvantage to him simply because she was human and so to spite them he joined Starfleet and he did it because he wanted to. Sarek refused to speak with him for years." Charlotte's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She had known he'd turned down the VSA but not why.

"Spock will not be bullied by Sarek and trust me...if he asks you then it's because he wants to...not because he has to. He cares for you in a way I have never seen from him."

Uhura said that with so much conviction that Charlotte knew she was telling the truth. It really was up to Spock then to make the next move. Charlotte smiled widely.

"Got any more of that Eggplant salad?" She asked and Uhura laughed as she went to get second helpings for them.


	32. Chapter 32

**AN: Ok. Hi everyone. I'm so sorry for the delay in writing. Louise is doing better with the Banzel. We're down to two seizures per day and she was cleared to start aqua therapy which she loves. I also want to say thank you so much for everyone's words of support and kind thoughts and support. They really helped me and my family.**

**I do need your help though on the story. I would like some ideas or input for what you guys may want to happen. I've left this chapter short and ripe for ideas. *evil laugh* There could be pirates hiding on the planet that take Kirk and Spock hostage, Natives on the planet that try to kill them, snakes that poison them, plants that release pollen and create hallucinations or it could even just be a pleasing place where they have a picnic and shoreleave. I'm leaving it up to you guys. We still have 2 months before Charlotte can give birth so we have to keep them busy. :)**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Thirty-Two

Spock returned to his quarters late in the evening. After his talk with the doctor and captain he was unsettled. He spent the past two hours in the science lab completing his report on the nebula components and had written a preliminary report on the planet that they had just reached. The bland facts served to silence his turbulent thoughts relating to his private life. The key word being private.

Upon returning he noticed that, although Charlotte was in bed, she was not resting. He could hear her tossing and turning. He also took note of an unusual assortment of dishes on their dining table that had yet to be cleared away. The smell was...unsettling. He cleared away the dishes containing remnants of ice cream, pickles, jalapeños, and watermelons. When she had first started eating these strange culinary combinations he had feared that the pregnancy was affecting her mentally but T'Peni and Dr. McCoy had assured him that they were a normal side effect of pregnancy. He had immediately conducted research into the behavior. It was called cravings. He was thankful that Charlotte's cravings were relatively harmless compared to some. Some women developed a condition known as pica and would crave inedible substances such as dirt.

He had just finished clearing away the mess when the object of his thoughts came storming out of their bedroom, her face flushed and a pronounced frown darkening her features. Though when she saw him her face softened.

"I'm sorry. I was going to clear that away." Charlotte said sheepishly.

"It is of no inconvenience." He looked closer at her and noticed lines of fatigue around her eyes and her posture was slouched. She moved away with a stiff gait and ruffled through her gym bag that had taken up residence in their living room area.

"You should be resting, Charlotte." He reminded her and received a derisive snort in reply.

"There is only six hours before alpha shift starts and that is not enough time to ensure you receive adequate rest." He moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder and noticed the muscles beneath his touch were tense. She straightened and had a bundle in her hand.

"I can't sleep. I can't get comfortable." She explained.

Spock wondered if it was due to the condition of her body or if she was thinking about his father. Almost, as if she was reading his thoughts, she further explained.

"I'm going to take advantage of the physical therapy pool. My back and feet are killing me and I just can't get comfortable on the bed. It feels like I'm being suffocated and it hurts my back."

He scrutinized her closely and could see that there was more to it than what she was saying but her tired, defeated look stopped him from saying more.

"Do you wish for me to accompany you?" He hedged. Her face flushed a deep red.

"Um...no...unless you want to? I was kind of hoping no one would see me."

He frowned at her statement but was thankful she did not ask him to accompany her. He did not particularly feel comfortable in water.

"Why?"

She slipped on her sneakers and bit her lip, seeming embarrassed.

"I look _fat_. Everything is fatter. My belly, my hips...hell, even my feet are fatter. I don't want people staring."

He could feel the insecurity of her appearance rolling off of her in waves, even though she was trying to shield herself from him. He didn't realize that she was feeling these things. Did she not understand the changes that were occurring were natural? As a nurse, she should know this but perhaps her emotions were clouding her judgement.

"Charlotte, you are not getting fat. You are pregnant."

Apparently, this was not the right thing to say.

"People are staring at me! I am getting lumpy! I am now having to wear giant sizes. I have to lay on my side like a beached whale to sleep because I can't lie on my back and it's really messed up."

Before he had a chance to reassure her, she left. He needed further research. He doubted he would have a chance to speak with her before he left for his away mission in the morning but he wanted to assist her with her comfort. He logged into his computer terminal and found an article that spoke of using a specially shaped pillow to support the growing belly and going between the knees to assist with proper spinal alignment. He placed an order for it and was able to pick it up from requisitions quickly. Spock set it on the bed with instructions on the correct way to use it and settled to meditate for the next five hours.

Charlotte knew that Spock was trying to reassure her but it didn't help. Of course she knew she was _pregnant_! She couldn't forget if she wanted to. T'Peni was talking about cutting her shifts back to six hours and people constantly tried to help her or touch her. It was driving her nuts. She just wished that it was done. The heartburn, the back pain, everything. She missed being able to move like she used to. She didn't understand women who enjoyed being pregnant. That was just weird.

She slipped into the pool and felt immediate relief. The water helped her muscles unknot and she just floated for a couple of minutes before she started a lazy breaststroke, letting the repetitive movements numb her.

It wasn't until her biomonitor on her wrist started beeping that she realized she was out of breath and her legs were cramping.

"Son of a bitch."

She heard the door open and saw T'Peni looking down at her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead saw the clock. She saw, with surprise, that she had been swimming for two hours.

"Do you require assistance?" T'Peni asked.

Charlotte could see the woman's reluctance to come near the water warring with her sense of medical duty. Charlotte quickly took stock of her body and though she was out of breath, she felt fine.

"No, I'm good."

She pulled herself out of the pool, careful to not splash T'Peni and grabbed a towel. Her legs were a little wobbly taking her weight but she focused on drying off and wrapping the towel around herself, attempting to hide any sign of weakness. She turned and nearly bumped into the vulcan's hand waving a handheld scanner, running it over her frame.

"I'm fi-"

"It appears that your heart rate is elevated and considering your other symptoms, I believe that your electrolyte level is low and possibly your blood sugar but without taking a blood sample..."

Charlotte leaned down and picked up her sports drink and showed it to T'Peni before taking a sip. The woman nodded her satisfaction but waited.

"I am curious as to why you are awake at this hour."

Charlotte shrugged and slipped on her sneakers without dressing. She figured her towel/sarong would cover her enough to get back to her quarters since it looked like T'Peni wasn't leaving. She didn't feel like changing with an audience. She'd just shower when she got home.

"I couldn't sleep." She explained.

"Perhaps a sleep aid is required. In your current condition it is unwise to exert yourself for prolonged periods and you need to sleep for a minimum of eight hours in any twenty-four hour period."

Charlotte shook her head.

"I'm fine." She insisted. T'Peni raised her eyebrows in the universal sign of skepticism and Charlotte sighed.

"It's my back." She admitted and the other woman nodded, clearly pleased at her telling the truth. T'Peni opened her medkit and prepped a hypospray, combining two cartridges. She knew better than to protest and remained still as the doctor administered the medication. She rubbed the spot on her neck.

"I will escort you back to your quarters. I administered a glucose supplement and a mild analgesic."

She nodded at T'Peni's explanation and allowed herself to be steered.

"I'm sorry I set off the alarm. I lost track of time."

"It is no trouble. I was on shift and there were no other duties that required my attention."

Charlotte smiled. "So you were bored."

T'Peni's lips quirked but she gave no other outward sign of amusement. "I will admit that the distraction was welcome however, I would prefer that you are more cautious in the future."

Charlotte gave a curt nod and they neared her quarters. She reached up to open the door when T'Peni's hand stopped her. She frowned slightly and lowered her hand.

"Since you will not achieve the necessary rest in the time before your shift starts, I will assign you a partial shift. You will not be expected in sickbay for approximately ten hours. Good night."

T'Peni turned and left before she could argue and Charlotte rolled her eyes and went inside.

After her shower, she felt a little better and walked to her room. She saw Spock was on his meditation mat on his side of the bed, face slack and deep in meditation. She was careful to not disturb him and crept to her side. She noticed a long pillow with a slight curve to it and a note on top. She picked it up and proceeded to read.

Ashayem,

I researched pregnancy and discomfort during rest and found a text describing other women making use of this device. It assists with spinal alignment and cushions the abdomen. This particular design comes highly recommended. I have attached diagrams on it's correct usage and hope that this will alleviate some of your difficulties in finding a suitable sleeping position. I care for you and would not want you to suffer needlessly considering the gift you are giving me. Sleep well. I will see you when I return in the evening.

Spock

And picture diagrams followed the text. A warm feeling grew in her chest and she smiled. She put down the paper and walked over to Spock, carefully kneeling down and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered.

She climbed into bed and with the pillow cradling her, quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Spock blinked his eyes and rose from his position on the floor, a peaceful hum at the back of his mind filled him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the feeling wash over him. He looked over to the bed and saw Charlotte sleeping, her face peaceful and content in sleep. He walked over to her and ran a finger over her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. She stirred slightly before settling back down to sleep. He was pleased that she was resting and seemed content with his efforts.

He pressed his lips to her forehead and with one last look proceeded to get ready for the day.

"Ready to go, Spock?" Kirk smiled as he attached his communicator and phaser to his belt.

Spock nodded and adjusted the strap on his tricorder. Nurse Chapel was off to one side double checking her kit and Lieutenant Harris from security was mirroring Kirk's motions.

The planet they were planning on exploring was the third planet from the sun. It had two moons and was class M. All scans indicated it was uninhabited and seemed moderately temperate. The four officers grouped on the transporter platform.

"Energize."

Spock's first impression upon materialization was that he was in Montana. Mountains surrounded them, capped with white snow. Evergreen trees lined clearing but the notable difference was the bark appeared silver. The grass under their boots rippled with the warm wind that carried the scent of foreign flowers. Spock immediately opened his tricorder and began taking preliminary scans of the area.

"Spock, take a minute to enjoy the fresh air. It's beautiful." Kirk took a deep breath and closed his eyes, stretching out his arms while Spock watched.

"I agree that the scenery is aesthetically appealing however, we have a large amount of area to catalog before we can start sending teams down to survey the rest of the planet."

Kirk frowned and dropped his arms. "Spoilsport." Kirk straightened his posture and accepted the case from Spock used to collect specimens.

"Okay. Chapel? You and Harris can team up and head to the east while Spock and I go west. We'll meet back here in three hours for lunch. Check in every thirty minutes." Kirk ordered. Chapel and Harris grabbed their own kits and headed off in one direction while Kirk and he went off on their own.


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: hi all! Sorry for taking so long to update but I was struggling to come up with a plot bunny. I welcome ideas of how Charlotte can show Spock her love for him after the events in this chapter. After all, Spock has been the one doing the most in the relationship so ideas would be highly welcomed!**

**Tishbing**

Chapter Thirty-Three

Spock started his final round of specimen collections when a rustling caught his attention. He stopped and stood up from his crouched position. Looking around, he saw a large orange flower. It was approximately six feet in height and had a large bulbous stem directly underneath the main part of the flower. It seemed to shudder and he watched it as it turned towards him.

"Fascinating." He whispered.

He picked up his tricorder and moved closer. It seemed to respond to his presence and then it started trembling more violently. He raised a gloved hand to obtain a sample when he felt a gust of air hit him in the face. He raised his hands reflexively to protect his face but he was unsuccessful. He coughed as felt a fine trickle of pollen settle on him. Moving away from the plant, he quickly took stock of himself. He was covered with a fine spattering of the plant's pollen from the top of his head to his chest. He could taste the pollen in his mouth. He wiped a sample off and listed in his case.

"Spock? You ok?" Kirk's voice rang out as he ran over to him.

Kirk looked at him in concern, clearly noticing his disheveled appearance.

"I am adequate. The plant over in the clearing apparently has a defense mechanism from predators." He explained.

The captain looked him over with a skeptical frown and then spied the plant that had started it's trembling again.

"Huh. That's interesting. I wonder what the purpose of that action was." Kirk wondered aloud.

Spock plugged in the sample to his portable scanner in his kit and noted that the readings seemed standard but the results would not be ready for several hours.

"Perhaps it was to frighten primitive animals away." He supposed.

"Alright Commander. It's about time for us to head back anyway but I want you to get checked out by sickbay when we get on board."

Kirk pointed at him to emphasize the point and Spock felt a stab of annoyance flash though him at being told what to do. He quickly pushed it away and nodded curtly at the captain.

He stepped into the medical bay once they returned to the ship and immediately saw Charlotte leaning over a crewmember and dressing a chemical burn after a round of regen. The young man was smiling at her and reached out to touch her abdomen. _His wife's abdomen_. He stepped forward, a growl in the back of his throat when he saw her push the hand away gently but forcefully. He let loose a sigh and suddenly realized that he had taken steps forward. He gave himself a mental shake and straightened himself, waiting for a free medical staff member to give him a post-away mission check. He did feel fatigued. Perhaps his and Charlotte's tension the previous night had worn him down more than he realized. It was only natural to protect one's mate.

"Hi Spock."

Charlotte's voice brought him out of his musings. She was smiling at him with a nervous look, shifting from foot to foot.

"Hello, Charlotte. The captain suggested that I receive an exam to ensure I am well. A plant deposited some pollen on me."

She nodded her head professionally and placed a hand on his elbow to steer him to one of the exam rooms. She turned the temperature up slightly and handed him a gown but when he went to take it she did not relinquish it. She bit her lip and focused her blue eyes on him.

"I just wanted to say thank you for last night and I'm sorry I snapped at you. I want you to know that you are the sweetest, most thoughtful person I have ever known."

Her face was sincere and he could feel her gratitude and a small amount of shame in their link. He relaxed at her words and held out two fingers which Charlotte gratefully took to reciprocate the gesture. He felt the warm thrum vibrate up his arm and into his chest at the contact and Charlotte blushed a vibrant red.

"It is understandable for you to struggle with your emotions during your pregnancy. The hormones that are released are interfering with you and the physical changes are a difficult transition."

Charlotte laughed and shook her head slightly, the sound warming him to his core at it's musical quality. She rubbed her free hand over her stomach and he resisted the urge to do so as well.

"I know but it's no excuse." She released his hand and started to move away. He quickly moved off the biobed to stay close to her, the urge to touch, to hold, to keep her from leaving him was strong. She stopped and turned to face him, a puzzled expression highlighting her features.

"Spock? Are you alright?" She asked warily. She put her hands up and carefully placed them on his upper arms.

"I am adequate." He needed her near him. She did not understand that in order for her to be safe she needed to stay with him. He would protect her. She was his.

"Okaaay...I just need to get the doctor and I'll be right back." She started to leave and his arm shot out, gripping her bicep tightly. She froze and looked at her arm and then at him with a hesitant, almost frightened look.

"Spock. I need to get the doctor. I will be right back." She said slowly.

He reluctantly released her and stepped away.

"I would prefer T'Peni." He snapped.

Charlotte nodded and stepped out. He did not wish for her to leave but she had reassured him she would be back. He moved to he doorframe and watched her converse with the vulcan woman briefly. He noticed Dr. McCoy move close to her and he tensed at the sight of him placing a hand on her shoulder. Why was he touching his mate? There was no need for it. Anger threatened to surge through him. He did not like others touching her. She was not his. He clenched his fists and was about to remove the offending hand when T'Peni and Charlotte returned.

Charlotte left Spock in the exam room and sought out T'Peni to do his exam. She could feel his emotions through their bond assaulting her shaky shields. Normally he would block his feelings from her because he knew he was still uncomfortable with him having a hold in her mind but she could sense him and that concerned her. When he had grabbed her, it had scared her. The grip had been so tight that she was pretty sure there were bruises. He had never done that before.

She quickly found T'Peni and motioned for her.

"Um...Doctor? Commander Spock is here for a check up. He requested you specifically but..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Dr. McCoy and smiled but suddenly she felt a surge of anger that wasn't hers. It took her breath away and frightened her at the same time.

"Charlotte?" T'Peni asked quickly.

She must have noticed her expression. Charlotte quickly schooled her features to a more neutral expression and moved away from Dr. McCoy with a small smile.

"I'm fine but Spock seems a little off. He seems to be struggling with his control." She saw McCoy start to move off to examine Spock and she just somehow knew that T'Peni would be better equipped.

"Doctor? He requested T'Peni." She said loudly and McCoy stopped in his tracks, a puzzled, almost irritated look bloomed across his features and Charlotte needed to step in to stop him before it turned into a fight.

"Doctor, I think this is something that T'Peni should handle. A healer rather than a doctor." Turning to the Vulcan woman, Charlotte was glad that T'Peni saw the unspoken reasoning in her eyes. McCoy scowled but acquiesced reluctantly.

"Fine but I want a full work up before he's released."

T'Peni nodded her head gracefully with a slight smile hinting at the corners of her lips.

"Of course, doctor."

T'Peni released Spock to a private room with strict instructions to rest. Charlotte frowned over the results of his blood analysis with both doctors standing next to her.

"I don't like it one bit." McCoy growled.

"Agreed. It is unusual to see these results in a vulcan. His testosterone level is increased as well as dopamine and adrenaline. His melatonin levels are low. There was an unidentified compound in his blood that may be the cause. It does not appear to be affecting him too adversely however, I highly recommend that further analysis of the plant is undertaken but with containment procedures in place."

Charlotte frowned at the genetic model of the compound that had bonded to Spock's blood-more specifically, it used the copper base in his blood cells to hijack his endocrine system and fool his lymphatic system into thinking there was no threat. Over the past two hours, Charlotte was feeling an increasingly dominant presence in her mind and it was starting to give her a tension headache. It only seemed to be relieved when she was near Spock and he was touching her. She rubbed her temples and attempted to continue to follow the doctor's discussion.

_Needwantminemusthavemateminemychildrenprotectmustc laimnothere_

The wave hit her and she stumbled under it's power. She had heard that vulcans felt more deeply than humans but this was different. She shook her head as another wave, this time it was filled with panic, possessiveness and anger. She felt her heart rate increase at the sensations roiling off Spock and knew the beeping on her wrist was showing that she was being affected via Spock's link with her.

"Ensign? Charlotte?" McCoy reached over and touched her, startling her. She glanced up to see both people looking at her. The diagram now showing a model of Spock's brain with the amygdala highlighted as well as the prefrontal cortex. The areas responsible for complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making and moderating social behavior.

"Are you feeling well?" T'Peni reached behind her and picked up a medical scanner, quickly handing it to Dr. McCoy, who promptly ran it over her. Charlotte started feeling her breath coming in shorter bursts as Spock's desperation slammed against her again.

"He's not doing well. He can't control what's happening." Charlotte's tone became high pitched with her worry. She was scared for Spock. It was his greatest fear-losing control of his emotions and being stripped of his logic. He had been attempting to meditate and Charlotte could feel it's failure with each passing moment. She closed her eyes and took a few cleansing breaths before turning to glare at McCoy who had the scanner beeping right next to her head.

"I'm _fine_." She snapped. McCoy pursed his lips and gestured with the readout.

"You are _not_ fine, dammit! Your blood pressure is rising steadily and you're showing signs of distress."

T'Peni looked thoughtful. She leaned over the older man's shoulders and read the display with a slight frown playing over her face. Charlotte started to feel more concerned.

"I was wondering if your presence may assist in alleviating the commander's symptoms. In times before Vulcan became civilized males often kept their bondmates extremely close especially during a gestational period, almost possessively close. In fact, oftentimes a female would seek escape from their mate's hold. It is likened to the behavior during their time." T'Peni watched Charlotte thoughtfully and she couldn't help squirming under her gaze.

"Spock wasn't like that when we..." She flushed at the memory. "...bonded."

T'Peni's eyes flashed in curiosity. "Fascinating. He was coherent?"

Charlotte felt a surge of embarrassment but pushed it down fiercely.

"Yeah. He was more freaked out about my being injured from the shuttlecraft than his biology. Why? Is..." She really didn't want to say it. The taboo of this topic had been pretty well explained and she didn't want to offend her. "...pon farr supposed to be different?" She finished in a whisper and McCoy was listening closely.

T'Peni put her hand to her chin and looked away, clearly deep in thought before slowly turning back to Charlotte.

"I believe one of three scenarios may have occurred in your bonding to Commander Spock. The first being that he never truly entered his Time. This happens with adolescents and Spock is still considered young. The second being that his human biology caused a weakened version and the third being that the majority of his need was sated by the struggles and trauma that the shuttle accident caused. A true pon farr lasts approximately three days and the male is reduced to a shell of his former self, repeatedly taking his mate until his need to mate is satisfied. His logic and control is ripped from him and all that is left is an animal." Her eyes took on a distinctly haunted look. "It is a most...trying experience unless there is a strong bond."

Charlotte could see there was more to T'Peni's statement than what she was saying but the impact of her words hit Charlotte like a brick wall. So Spock may have not truly gone through his pon farr? And he would be reduced to a similar mental state, most likely worse than this, when it happened. T'Peni looked downright frightened talking about it. Would Spock hurt her? Was this the reason why T'Pau and Sarek treated her so kindly? Because they thought that Spock had hurt her and were just so grateful that she had not killed him and endured something that T'Peni clearly found frightening?

A shiver raced down her spine at the thought of going to Spock when he was like that but she had to. He was clearly hurting and he had done so much for her, this was nothing...she hoped? This must be why vulcan males are so faithful to their mates. They depend on them to be there for their survival. They depend on the female's willingness to submit to their loss of control and the indignity of repeated animalistic mating, very different from making love. Charlotte swallowed dryly and looked at T'Peni who's dark eyes bored into her and nodded her understanding.

"Until we can find a way to effectively flush this compound from his body he will continue to deteriorate. It is causing the neurons in his brain to not fire adequately. The only comfort measure that I can see is allowing him a few of his baser needs to be fulfilled and one of them is your presence, Miss Jones."

Charlotte blanched and took a step back and as if on cue a loud roar could be heard from across the medical bay causing everyone to jump. Charlotte nodded slowly and started to move to the private room only to be stopped by a red-faced Dr. McCoy.

"_Now hold on just one damn minute! _You can't expect me to send in a fragile pregnant woman to an unstable vulcan!? He'll rip her to shreds!" He held his arms out to block their path and T'Peni stepped forward, her eyes cold and stance tense. Charlotte had never seen her look at Dr. McCoy like that. Since she had come aboard she had always reacted politely and, Charlotte suspected, affectionately.

"You do not understand, doctor. He will not kill her but if he continues to deteriorate the way that he is then it will continue to affect Ensign Jones and he may damage himself or harm others to get to her." She bit out. McCoy deflated slightly and moved aside.

Charlotte could feel Spock's desperate attempts to meditate flooding her mind and her mouth dried in nervous anticipation, her heart thrumming in her chest. She remembered Spock's grip on her arm and realized T'Peni had said Spock wouldn't kill her but she hadn't said he wouldn't hurt her.

Charlotte moved to the private room, careful to walk slowly and she noticed a tugging, pulling sensation in her mind-almost like a tether drawing her to Spock. She took a deep breath and nodded to T'Peni at the door. She typed in the opening sequence but before she opened it she gave her a look of careful understanding. Charlotte wondered what had happened to T'Peni to warrant such a reaction.

"Your biomonitor will keep us apprised of your condition and we will monitor you both while we work on a treatment." She paused and closed her eyes for a moment. "Keep yourself and your bondmate safe." Then she released the door.

Charlotte stepped into the private room to see Spock sitting cross-legged, his eyes were closed and he was breathing raggedly. His shirt was off and she could see lean muscles straining in his back and shoulders. He was muttering a Vulcan mantra and clearly not succeeding.

When the door closed with a pressurized whoosh Charlotte heard Spock breath deeply and saw him tremble. She opened her mouth to ask if he was okay when she was suddenly shoved against the wall, a strong body pinning her and his hands pressing her arms above her head. She turned her head as his head sought out her neck and she felt a gust of hot breath as he smelled her, his teeth grazing the join between her neck and shoulder.

_Minemineminemusttouch_

She whimpered in fear as his hands spasmed on her wrists causing a shooting pain to radiate down her arms, especially her right forearm as the bones ground together.

Oh God, please don't hurt me Spock. She thought wildly and he must have heard her because his grip loosened minutely and his eyes flew up to meet hers. The pupils were blown and he looked frightened and angry at the same time. He transferred her wrists to hold them in one hand and ran the other down the side of her face, a warming buzz filled her mind and then it travelled lower, over her breasts and to her belly where it settled. He splayed his hand across it and hummed as if confused for a moment.

"Spock, you remember that those are your children?" She whispered, afraid to set him off in her defenseless position. He grunted a nod and promptly pulled his hand off and jerked her away from the wall roughly. He pulled her to the corner of the room that he had been meditating in and dragged her down with him where he situated himself behind her. He wrapped his arms tight around her, one hand slipping up under her blouse to settle on her stomach possessively. The position wasn't comfortable but the moment she tried to shift his grip on her hip tightened dangerously, definitely causing her to gasp in pain, and she knew she wasn't going anywhere.

The night wore on and Charlotte was stiff and starting to get afraid. Chris Chapel had attempted to leave food and blankets for them. Charlotte had tried to stand to accept them and Spock had growled at Chris and even turned on Charlotte, forcing her to stay down with a vise-like grip on her shoulders. Chris left in a hurry and the items were slipped through the door before it was locked. Another incident had been when Dr. McCoy had been informing her of their progress through the intercom. Spock didn't understand the voice coming from the speakers and saw it as a threat. He then proceeded to tear and smash the panel apart exposing the cables and electrical systems, his hands burned slightly and small cuts littering the back of his fingers.

The morning dawned and she breathed a sigh of relief which was short lived when she remembered the primitive vulcan molded to her back. She heard the door open slightly and close just as quickly. She tensed and waited for Spock to move but he seemed to still be in a deep sleep. Perhaps his lack of meditation caused him to be more tired. His breath was hot on the back of her neck and his arms were loose around her. She shifted slowly and waited. He didn't move. She carefully removed his arms and crawled over to the small items near the door. She heard a small growl and froze, giving it a minute before turning to the items. A PADD and a hypospray. She quickly scanned the message on the PADD and gripped the hypo.

**Inject Spock with this sedative. We have devised a treatment but do not want to resort to stunning him or having to use a gaseous anesthetic as it puts you at a higher risk.  
L. McCoy**

She turned around to sneak back to Spock only to run into him face first. His expression was slightly curious with his head cocked to one side and a slight frown on his face. Charlotte's breathing hitched and she quickly palmed the shot and stood up slowly. Spock copied her gesture and ran a hot hand through her hair, almost petting her and a rumbling in his chest showed he was pleased that she was letting him touch her. He repeated the gesture of affection and that's when Charlotte struck, her hand shooting out with the hypospray to hit his unprotected neck. He snarled and snapped, his hand wrapping around her neck and slamming her to the wall hard enough for her head to hit with a crack and see stars.

_Betrayedbetrayedwhy?_

His face was twisted in a feral snarl and she could feel bruises blossoming on her skin, the edges of her vision darkening as her flow of oxygen was cut off.

It seemed like forever before she saw his eyes dull and he started to teeter in his stance. He released her and she fell to her hands and knees with a bone-jarring thump, gasping and coughing. A shock of pain lanced up her right arm and she was forced to roll to her side clutching her wrist. Charlotte tried to reassure Spock that she was trying to help but he shook his head over and over making sounds that reminded Charlotte of a wounded animal.

"Spock, shhhh-it's ok. I'm here." She crawled over to him where he was now laying on the ground trying to fight the sedative. Her heart ached to see him like this and she carded her fingers through his hair as he soon succumbed to his forced sleep.

The moment he was fully asleep the doors opened to reveal the two doctors and Chapel as well as several burly orderlies who quickly lifted Spock onto the biobed. T'Peni focused on Spock while Dr. McCoy moved to her, his face pale and pinched as he took note of the bruises on her neck, wrists and arms. He carefully helped her stand and she took one more look at Spock before being led from the room.

"Have you devised a treatment?" She asked as she settled on a biobed of her own. McCoy set the scan going and retrieved a deep tissue regenerator and pressed them to her neck to start the cycle. He frowned as he received the results and gently pressed on her hip to find more bruises.

"Yeah. We found a chemical that can be administered intravenously and it binds with the drug compound in Spock's blood rendering it inert to be disposed of naturally and safely via a modified form of chelation. You have a hairline fracture on your right radius and multiple contusions. Are you in any pain?" He frowned as he attached a bone knitter on her arm and set it going. He looked at the marks and bit his lip in concern.

"No, I'm a little achy but I'm ok." McCoy jerked his head in understanding and focused on his treatment while Charlotte watched Spock's closed door with nervous worry. "If the drug is removed, do you think there'll be damage?"

McCoy shook his head. "I don't think so. I expect him to be fine in about eight hours. We're gonna keep him under until we're sure and M'Benga and T'Peni are pretty sure he's going to need to meditate for about twelve hours after to fully regain control. I think it'd be best for you to go back to your quarters after I finish treating you to get some proper rest." Charlotte bit her lip and frowned.

She felt like she was abandoning him if she left. He needed her.

"I know that look. No. You go and get some rest. The captain said he'd sit with Spock now that he won't get killed so you can rest." He snapped.

He finished wrapping her wrist and despite her protests ushered Charlotte from the medical bay. She felt so guilty leaving him. His last thoughts before he had lost consciousness had been that she had betrayed him and that hurt. She needed to show him that she still cared. That he still had her love and respect because she was pretty sure he was going to be embarrassed and concerned.


	34. Chapter 34

**AN: ok. I have no excuse this time for the delay in updating. I'm actually a little stuck on ideas. I know I need to come up with names. I have one for the boy but I'm struggling for the girl. Amanda is way too cliche. Also, ideas on the ceremony? Maybe baby shower? I am begging you people! You are the reason that I continue! I live for reviews!**

**tishbing**

Chapter Thirty-Four

Spock opened his eyes to a set of blue ones looking right back at him.

"Captain." He greeted and pushed himself to a sitting position on the bed. He then realized he was in the medical bay. Strange. The last memory he had was when he was on the planet. The captain reached behind him and picked up a cup of water.

"How are you feeling, Spock?" He asked and pressed the glass into his hands. Spock reluctantly took it and proceeded to "take inventory" of his body. He noted a dull headache that was reminiscent of the times that Dr. McCoy had sedated him in the past. His muscles were sore as if they had been tense for long periods and then suddenly released but otherwise he felt in good health.

"I am adequate although, my memory seems to be incomplete." He admitted. Kirk smiled grimly and patted Spock's arm.

"Yeah. I'm not surprised. You were hit with a round of pollen from a plant on the surface of the planet we were surveying and it made you sick for a bit. Bones can explain more." Kirk pressed his lips together in a thin line and Spock could see the concern radiating off of his friend.

The door to his room opened and Spock saw McCoy and T'Peni step through. Their faces grim but relieved.

"I'm glad to see you're doing better, Spock." The doctor said as he picked up a tricorder and began to run it over him. Spock noticed that the doctor's jaw was clenched and his movements seemed stiff, indicative of anger.

"Doctor? Is there something that I need to be aware of?" Spock asked.

McCoy's hands jerked slightly and he let of a frustrated breath. He was attempting to calm himself and Spock began to feel some apprehension at the lack of memories.

"I guess." He put down the tricorder and faced Spock directly.

"Spock, when that pollen hit you, it bound with your blood and interfered with the neuron-receptors in your brain. It cut off your higher functions and it made you...not yourself." McCoy finished vaguely with a hand rolling gesture. Spock narrowed his eyes in irritation.

"I do not understand."

T'Peni moved from her place behind Dr. McCoy and stood next to him.

"Commander. What the doctor is attempting to explain is that you reverted to your more primal instincts. That included your more possessive tendencies of Miss Jones." Spock felt a flash of panic and quickly searched his bond for Charlotte only to hit an impressive mental block.

"Was she injured?" Spock asked quickly. McCoy shook his head.

"Nothing too bad. I think she was a little freaked out by the whole thing but she's fine. I sent her back to her quarters to rest." McCoy explained and proceeded to take a blood sample. T'Peni lifted her hand.

"Spock, I need to verify that you are in control of your faculties." T'Peni moved her hand closer to Spock's head and he allowed it. Dr. McCoy looked like he wanted to rip T'Peni off of him but he remained still.

A gentle prod here and there was the only sensation from the shallow meld and then T'Peni withdrew with a nod.

"I believe that your health is adequate as is your control." She informed him and Kirk let out a relieved breath. McCoy looked up from his blood analyzer in the corner of the exam room.

"Well, looks like you're back to normal on this end too." McCoy confirmed and walked up to Spock.

"I'm signing you out but you're still off duty for the next two days."

Spock frowned slightly. As he had healed from his exposure, he failed to understand the need for him to remain off duty. One glare from the doctor and that shut down his protests.

"Of course, doctor. I defer to your judgement." He said quickly and was displeased to note the captain's smirk at his acquiescence. T'Peni watched the exchange with her lips twitching in amusement.

"Damn straight. I'll see you tomorrow for a check up and the day after, too." McCoy and T'Peni left and Kirk started to laugh once they were out of earshot.

"Smooth, Spock. Real smooth. Bones has that effect on people."

"What effect are you speaking of?" Spock asked.

Kirk laughed harder, clutching his sides.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Once he was finally released from the medical bay, Spock made his way to his quarters. It was disconcerting that he had been unable to get anything from his link to Charlotte. He pressed the door release button and was surprised that he saw Charlotte asleep on the couch, PADDs scattered around her. Her long legs were splayed off the arm of the couch and her right arm was dangling. He saw purple and yellow bruises surrounding her throat and her right arm had a support wrap around it. Spock moved closer to her and saw that her left wrist was similarly bruised. He attempted to access their link again and was felled by the block that Charlotte had erected. She really was becoming skilled at gaining her privacy. He was concerned for her health but Dr. McCoy had stated that Charlotte was not hurt badly but the evidence in front of him made him feel ashamed and horrified.

Spock bent to pick up the PADDs and noticed the articles that Charlotte had been reading. There was a list of baby names, a list of baby necessities and an article on Vulcan bonding and mating needs. The latter was provided by the Vulcan government on a need to know basis. He quickly scanned the document and felt his cheeks heat at the information. It was...detailed.

He finished picking up the scattered documents and considered moving Charlotte to the bed before deciding against it. She seemed content and Spock had no wish to disturb her. He went to their bedroom and returned with a blanket. When he went to cover her, Charlotte's eyes shot open and with a gasp she scrambled away from him. Her face was a mask of fear.

"Charlotte! It is alright. You are safe." He held out his hands, palm out and open to show he wasn't going to hurt her. Her blue eyes darted around the room and after a moment settled on him. He was bombarded with feelings of intense fear and panic as Charlotte unwittingly dropped her shields. He backed away to give her room, much like you would a frightened,cornered animal. He wondered what had happened for her to respond this way.

"Spock?" Her voice was cracked with fear and fatigue. He nodded and moved closer as Charlotte started to calm down. Her breathing slowed and her faced flushed in embarrassment. She smiled weakly and pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Hey." She mumbled. Spock felt something twist in his chest when Charlotte flinched away from his hand. He moved away and Charlotte sighed.

"It's alright, Spock. I'm _fine_." She reached forward and grabbed his wrist. He let her pull him onto the couch next to him. Charlotte patted his hand and gave him a tight smile.

"I'm fine." She restated. He raised an eyebrow in skepticism and looked at her closely. Charlotte huffed irritated and rolled her eyes.

"Well, okay. I'm not perfectly fine but I will be." A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and Spock raised a hand to gently brush it away. He moved closer and her breath hitched as he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"I am sorry, ashaya." He whispered. Spock could see the dark marks contrasting against the pale skin on her neck and it hurt him to see those. To know that he did that to her. She shook her head.

"It's okay. You couldn't control it and to be honest, it was almost flattering." Spock raised his eyebrows in surprise and leaned back. Charlotte shrugged.

"I meant that it took me to be able to calm you down. That you..." She looked at her hands that twisted in her lap. "..._needed_ me." She finished in a whisper.

Spock used his fingers to tilt her chin up and force her to meet his gaze.

"How could you ever think otherwise? I will need you for as long as you'll have me, Charlotte." He realized that this was the perfect time. He put up a finger to silence Charlotte and moved to the desk in his office. He pulled out a small square box and returned to Charlotte who hadn't moved from her seat. She was watching him with a puzzled expression and as Spock opened his hand to reveal the box, her face clouded over and became unreadable.

"Charlotte? Even though you are my wife, I wish to show you, in the human way, that I want you to be my wife...my partner for life. Will you marry me in the human way?" Spock waited with his breath held. The silence was deafening.

Charlotte's face fell and she tried to blink tears away. She looked down and took a deep breath. Spock felt something twist in his stomach around the region that his heart resided. Spock pulled back from Charlotte and put the ring on the coffee table. She wrung her hands and wouldn't face him. He could feel her trying to shield her emotions from him. Guilt, fear, shame and uncertainty was prevalent. A choked sob broke through.

She was fiddling and pulling on the splint on her wrist and Spock was struggling to focus through her hurt thrumming through their bond and his own hurt at being rejected by Charlotte. He stilled her movements with a tight grip on her hands and her blue eyes shot up to meet his. Charlotte's mouth opened and closed a few times before she was able to speak.

"Spock. I'm so so sorry. I sort of knew that you were going to ask because of Sarek pressuring you and I can't do this. I can't be a symbol." She pleaded with her eyes and that was when Spock understood. She wasn't rejecting him because of dislike. She was rejecting him because she thought his father was behind it. He reached up to cup her cheek and moved forward, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"Oh Ashaya. That is not the reason I asked." He stated. Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise.

"I asked because it is what _I_ want. This was a decision I came to on my own without my father's influence. If it would make a difference in your decision then we could have a private ceremony." He stroked her hair and she smiled, her face lighting up in understanding. Spock felt a sense of hope as she nodded fervently.

"Yes. I will marry you." Charlotte said with a laugh. She wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured into his shoulder. "Again." Spock slowly pulled back and picked back up the ring from the table. Taking her trembling left hand, he carefully slid the ring on her third finger. Strangely, it looked...right.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Charlotte was still in a strange headspace. The knowledge that Spock was willing to risk upsetting his father for her was a big thing. They had to hurry though because even though they had been formally "engaged" for three weeks, they were due to arrive at New Vulcan in a week. Charlotte didn't even want to think what Sarek had planned for them. She was thankful that Uhura was running interference for them. Her anxiety levels had ratcheted up since she hit week thirty in her pregnancy. The size of her belly was starting to become obscene and a constant worry. She was still struggling to come up with names and that was only one thing. They had still not come anywhere near ready for the babies. Charlotte and Spock had spent hours researching what would be needed but Spock was overly cautious with each product and would quickly dismiss each item Charlotte suggested citing more research was necessary. It was cute that he was so overprotective but frustrating.

"Spock, I think this model would be sufficient. We only need one crib for the babies until they get bigger. They'd probably want to be close together anyway." She said as she pointed to a dark mahogany sleigh crib. Spock looked up from his PADD.

"Possibly. However, it would be prudent to have the second one ready. It is wise to teach the children self-reliance." He said quietly.

He was sat on the couch with a slight frown on his face as he returned to the PADD that he was reading. Charlotte sighed in desperation and put down her own PADD.

"Spock. We have to get this set up. The babies are coming sooner rather than later." She huffed and shifted in her seat across from the vulcan. Charlotte groaned and Spock could see her abdomen shift as the children inside shifted.

"They're so big that I can feel the points on their ears! We need to get their room arranged." She tapped on her stomach and looked at Spock pointedly. Spock's eyebrows raised at her statement.

"I doubt that that is true. I am currently researching recovery procedures for cesarean surgery and breast feeding suggestions for mothers of multiples." He missed Charlotte's jaw dropping.

"I am _not_ having a c-section. It's a major surgery. Women have been giving birth naturally for thousands of years." Charlotte explained.

This was a frequent argument lately.

"It is a safer and more controlled environment, Charlotte. We have discussed this." He said in a tight voice which to Charlotte immediately mean't he felt he was right and she was wrong.

"It's my body. I will not have someone carve out my children." She snapped.

"Our children." He remanded. She bristled under his intense gaze.

"It is more natural to give birth vaginally. The recovery time for me would be smaller and it is a less clinical way for them to enter the world." She explained. She was a nurse and knew the risks involved with both delivery methods. Spock sighed.

"If it was a singleton birth then I would not be adverse to your...preference. However, this is what I and the doctors believe is the safest route." He explained. Charlotte glared and crossed her arms.

That was the problem with surgeons. They always felt that to cut was to cure. Sometimes the body knew what was best and it was best to let nature take it's course. She shoved her irritation aside and decided to move their discussion on to more pleasant subjects. When Spock had his mind set on a decision it was nearly impossible to make him see reason.

"So...have you thought about the names I sent you?" She smiled tightly with suppressed frustration.

"You are attempting to change the subject."

Charlotte shot him a glare that said _no duh_ and rolled her eyes.

"Of _course_ I'm changing the subject. It's bad enough that I have to wear a wrist monitor twenty-four seven and be constantly poked and prodded without the thought that someone is going to take a knife and cut me to pull our children out of my stomach like they're removing a tumor." She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before continuing.

"I just want the birth of our children to be a bonding experience for the both of us. For _something_ to be natural and normal." She pleaded.

Spock nodded his understanding.

"Very well. I will have no further objections as long as you agree that if the risks to yourself or the children become too great then you will submit to the surgical option of delivery."

Sometimes she really loved Spock. She grinned and struggled out of the armchair. Charlotte pressed herself next to Spock and snuggled next to him, pulling his arm over her shoulders.

"Definitely. Thank you for understanding. I have to leave in a minute for my shift."

Charlotte cuddled with Spock until she was almost late for her shortened alpha shift. Spock was so warm that she was loathe to leave his side. She waddled into the medical bay and took her place at the nurses station. T'Peni had decided to place her on light duty yesterday. She was mostly tasked with vaccinations, boosters, annual exams and paperwork...lots of paperwork.

Charlotte spent the bulk of her free time thinking about how Spock and her were going to accomplish their goal of a private ceremony to have a traditional Terran ceremony. She definitely couldn't get a white dress. Not only would it look ridiculous with her girth but the whole symbolic idea of virginity is really silly. That ship had obviously sailed.

To make matters worse, she was beginning to panic over their lack of being ready for the actual birth. Not only were names a distant idea, they didn't have a scrap of clothing for them or a crib to put them in.

"Hello Charlotte." Christine Chapel greeted her and sat down next to her with a smile. Charlotte looked at the thin blond and felt even larger by comparison.

"Hey Chris." She grumbled.

Chapel frowned and leaned closer, concern etched on her features.

"You ok?" She asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "I've just got a lot going on."

Chapel nodded sagely. "Definitely."

Charlotte tapped in the files and correlated the latest information with previous records. Boring but it gave her a chance to think while she worked. All her and Spock had been talking about was the "wedding" ceremony and baby stuff. She felt like they were hitting a brick wall with it. That between the two of them they were so focused on it that they were losing sight of what it really meant for them to just be together.

"Hey Chris?"

"Yeah?" Her friend looked up from her computer screen.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something. I want to do something for Spock that is totally un-baby related." Chris perked up and leaned closer. A mischievous smile lit her features and it reminded Charlotte vaguely of a shark.

"That sounds like a perfect idea. I have just the thing!" Chris laid out her plan and Charlotte was impressed. It was simple and romantic.

"So, I was thinking tonight." Chapel finished with a smirk. Charlotte tilted her head in suspicion but said nothing.

"Okay. Thanks Chris. I definitely owe you one."

"You owe me more than one, girl."

Charlotte had sent Spock the request for him to meet her at the large observation deck and was currently arranging the small picnic that Chapel had arranged. A collection of small candles provided the only illumination in the room apart from the stars streaking by in the large bay window that took up an entire wall. They were slowly making their way to New Vulcan after collecting supplies from Starbase 12. This was nerve-wracking for Charlotte. She'd made sure that the dishes were all of Spock's favorites. He'd been partial to vegan cream of mushroom soup since Charlotte had forced him to try it and Uhura was more than willing to share her roasted eggplant salad. Chris had helped her pick out a long royal blue tunic that went to her knees and black leggings that went to her calves. She had put her hair up loosely piled on her head so that a few strands framed her face. For once she felt pretty and Charlotte hoped that Spock felt the same.

She was nervously waiting on the blanket when the door opened. Spock was wearing his regulation blacks and his eyes widened when he saw her. Charlotte felt her cheeks flush at his look.

"Umm..hi, Spock." She stammered.

He quickly joined her and Charlotte served him. His eyes were tracking every movement, intense enough that Charlotte's hands were shaking as she poured his drink. Warm hands quickly covered hers and Charlotte blushed further as he helped steady her movements and a warm tingle spread up her arms to settle in her chest.

"There is no need to be nervous, Charlotte."

He was so close she could feel his breath ghosting on her ear. It made her shiver despite the warmth his body was radiating. He released her hands and trailed his fingers up her arms, letting them rest on her shoulders where he was situated behind her. Spock gently nuzzled her neck and pressed kisses to the join between her neck and shoulder eliciting a moan as his hands moved lower to start rubbing her lower back, kneading the bunched muscles there.

"S-Spock. This is supposed to be a date...f-for you." Her head tipped back to rest on his shoulder as Spock pressed at a particular spot that made her toes curl.

"It was a pleasant surprise and it still is. I find enjoyment in making my adun'a happy." Charlotte felt his chest rumble against her back as he spoke low into her ear. He mouthed at her neck making her melt against him.

"Is this not what you were attempting to achieve? A pleasing experience for myself to relieve the stresses associated with our current predicament." His hands moved back up and began to work at her shoulders. Her eyes began to close against her will.

"Mmhmm." She mumbled. She was turning to putty in his hands and Charlotte wondered if that had been his plan when he had seen the "date" she had set up.

"Yes, Charlotte."

"Sneaky vulcan." She chided and leaned back to kiss him and wrap her fingers around his. A fission of love shot reverberated through their touch and Charlotte smiled into their kiss. This was bliss. Nothing but the stars and them.


End file.
